Like father like son 2: My home is your home
by Clarlie
Summary: Naruto returns from his mission to hear really unpleasant news. Looks like Yondaime is the one who can help him, but who is standing behind the scenes? Will they be able to find it and understand each other at the same time?
1. Chapter 1

Hello everybody! Here I am again! 33 reviews for the last chapter of 'Like father like son 1', that was huge! Thank you, for all these warm words you've written! That's truly pleasant!

So I've decided not to make you wait long and started to write the second part. This is its first installment, prologue. Not very long but it's only the beginning.

Phillipa Engels, my precious beta-reader, thank you a lot! You corrected all my mistakes and gave really interesting ideas about some story lines. Thank you again, and I think all the readers will join me in these thanks.

MasterFranny, I still can't think out the way of putting Itachi in this story – LFLS storylines begin to break the moment I do it, so he won't appear in this part too (I'm really sorry!) Thanks for the advice about italics for the thoughts. I did it in the prologue, let me know if it's better or not.

Scienceboy, just read it. The answers about what happened are in the prologue ;)

Win, you are really observant, my congrats, your guess was sharp…:)

It is the second part in the 'Like father like son' arc. I strongly recommend to read the first one 'Like father like son: Beginning' before reading this part.

I don't own Naruto (sigh), don't own Arashi (or what is his real name in manga anyway…) (double sigh). Umi is my original character (smile).

No Narutos were damaged fatally during this story. :))))

As usual I'm waiting for your reviews…

Like father like son 2: My home is your home.

**Prologue**

Naruto almost flew, jumping from tree to tree. The mission wasn't difficult but it took some time. He hasn't been in Konoha for a week and wanted to get home really badly.

"Naruto!" he heard familiar voice behind him and turned around finding a smiling Kiba.

"How are you?" he asked looking at his friend.

"I'm good," Kiba answered back. "Training here and there, preparing for the chuunin exams."

"Chuunin exams!" Naruto exclaimed. "Oh my! I had completely forgotten about them! How much time do we have?"

"Don't worry, it's two months starting now," Kiba reassured him. But Naruto's tension didn't disappear.

"I'd better find Ero-sennin if I want to pass the exam. Everybody learned new jutsus during these few months when he left me here without any scrolls to learn! That sucks!"

"Well, I wish you luck then," Kiba nodded. "But next time, if you are my opponent, I'll pay you back for that defeat."

"Don't even dream about it!" Naruto slapped and bid him goodbye running towards the Konoha gates. Yeah, he definitely needed a teacher. Maybe…Kakashi-sensei? Yes, it looked like a good idea.

The white-haired jounin he was thinking about stood near the gate waiting for him.

"Oh, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted. "It's good to see you. I have a favor to ask of you," but his teacher didn't give him a chance to finish.

"Naruto, Godaime wants to talk with you. Now," his voice was serious.

"_Oh my_," Naruto thought. "_I haven't done anything wrong, why does she want to talk to me_?"

Kakashi looked at the scared boy and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Just go," he ruffled Naruto's hair and pushed him a little in the direction of Tsunade's office.

Naruto obeyed continuing to wonder, "_What in the world happened_?"

"Tsunade-baachan!" he exclaimed once he got to the doorstep. "What's so urgent! I haven't even had a chance to go home after the mission, dammit!"

Tsunade's look was full of pity.

"_Oh, my_," Naruto thought. "_That's bad. She even hasn't paid attention to me calling her "baachan" again_!"

"Naruto," she finally began. "You know, something awful happened while you were on your mission."

Naruto's heart came to the sudden stop.

"Something awful?" he slowly repeated. Images of different awful things came to his mind, starting with Ichiraku's closing permanently and finishing with Sasuke being killed by Orochimaru.

"What?" he didn't hear his own voice.

"There was a hurricane here," Tsunade sighed. "Your house…it… was kinda destroyed."

"Nani!" Naruto's scream was heard by all the villagers. "What do you mean by "kinda"?"

"Kinda completely destroyed," Tsunade told him.

"Oh my," to say Naruto's face was shocked and he was speech less.

A moment later the door slammed and Naruto ran downstairs.

"Naruto, wait!" Tsunade stood up but it was too late.

He couldn't remember how he got to his place. Just a few minutes after he left Tsunade's cabinet he already stood at the place that had used to be his home. There were several roof parts, board parts and that was all that was left.

"Oh my," was all Naruto could manage. He tried to find his things like photos, toys but nothing was there. So he just sat down not knowing what to do next.

A few hours later Naruto stood at Tsunade's office again.

"We'll repair it as soon as possible," she assured him. "But it will take some time. Do you have a place to stay?"

"Actually…no," Naruto sighed remembering.

-----------------------

"Sorry," Shikamaru sighed. "My mom…she has no hospitality at all. She told me "no" and me and dad could do nothing about it."

-------------------------

"Sorry," Sakura shook her head. "We don't have a lot of rooms in our house. Only my parents' and mine…" Naruto's eyes filled with hope.

"But you definitely can't live in my room!" she finished.

Naruto lowered his head.

-------------------------

"Sorry," Kiba answered. "Our dogs don't like strangers. You won't be able to live in our house."

-------------------------

"Naruto, I'd like you to live with me," Kakashi sighed. "But I have only one bed and one room so there is no way…"

--------------------------

"Maybe Iruka?" Tsunade suggested but remembered finally. "Oh, he's at a teachers' conference in the Hidden Sand."

Naruto's head fell lower and lower with every moment. He was tired and for the last few hours all he had done was try to find a place to live. He could never even imagine all his friends would act in such an unfriendly manner.

"Then there is only one choice left," Tsunade sighed. "You will live in Sasuke's house. It's empty now."

"Sasuke's house?" Naruto whispered in shock.

The biggest darkest house in the village, even the thought of entering there gave him the creeps.

"No way," he whispered. Living there…where Sasuke had lived all alone…becoming an unsociable person like he was…what if it was because of his house? So after some time he, Uzumaki Naruto would become like Sasuke completely!

"_I'd be better off sleeping on the street,_" he thought preparing an answer but was interrupted.

A familiar flash flew beside him throwing all the papers from Tsunade's table with a gust of wind. Finally it stopped revealing Yondaime with a huge grin on his face.

"I did it!" he exclaimed. "Tsunade, they signed out the peace agreement! We have more allies now!"

Tsunade's look wandered from the papers now lying all around her table to the smiling blond in Hokage's robe.

"You!" she shouted in angry voice. "How many times have I told you not to use your freaky jutsu in my office! You ruined everything!"

Arashi's grin became wider.

"Well, let me think…" he thought for a while. "22…or 23…yeah, something like that."

"Get out!" Tsunade shouted. "We have serious matter here and here you are with your pranks!"

"Serious matter?" Arashi's expression changed into curious one while he looked around finding Naruto who was laughing loudly watching the scene the Hokages made.

"Oh, hello, baka!" he greeted Uzumaki.

"Stop calling me that!" Naruto shouted. He hadn't seen Yondaime for a few weeks and had started to forget how irritating the 4th could be.

"What's the problem Tsunade?" Arashi turned to the 5th now looking serious. "Has he done something wrong?"

"Why do you think I've done something wrong!" Naruto exploded but Arashi's hand appeared in front of his face.

Naruto shut up remembering this gesture. It meant "Shut up for a while and then shout as much as you want. But now I'm busy." He learnt it well during their mission in the hidden moon.

"Naruto's house was crushed by a hurricane while he was on his mission," Tsunade explained. "So he doesn't have any place to live. I suggested for him to stay at Sasuke's house but he doesn't like the idea very much."

Arashi turned to the blond boy. Sadness and understanding was in his eyes.

Naruto just lowered his head studying the floor attentively. He wasn't used to someone feeling sorry for him.

"Well," the sadness in Yondaime's eyes turned into his normal steady expression. "I have a big house. You may stay there until your house is repaired completely."

"Really?" Naruto's voice for a moment was filled with hope but finally he realized _who _offered him a place to stay.

Yondaime. The man who sealed Kyuubi into him and ruined his life. The man who almost killed him when Orochimaru used Edo Tensei and returned the 4th back to life. The man to whom he lost the ramen challenge and with whom he had to carry out difficult mission in the hidden moon village. The man he Didn't like with capital "D".

"Well, now you have two different places to stay," Tsunade didn't give him a chance to finish his thought. "Which one will you choose?" Sasuke's house or Arashi's?

That wasn't an easy choice for Naruto. The dark corridors of the Uchiha manor or the house of the man he disliked the most in Konoha. What a choice…

"Well," Arashi sighed. "I won't push you or anything. Just let me know if you decide something," and he went to the door.

Was it just Naruto's imagination or had he really heard a hint of disappointment in the 4th's voice?

For a moment Naruto remembered their talks during the Moon's mission. The Yondaime wasn't as bad as he tried to make himself think. He had never seen the Hokage's house but he was pretty sure it didn't look as scary as Sasuke's house. Again staying there…at the rooms where his friend-rival had lived, with all the things reminding him of him… it would made him crazy. So…he didn't have a choice then.

"Wait!" he shouted to Arashi who had already opened the door.

"Yes?" blond hokage looked at him attentively.

"Uh," Naruto began. "If it is not a problem for you, could I stay in your house for a while?"

A wide grin appeared on Arashi's face.

"Of course you can, baka," he told him and watching Naruto scowling at the last word said "Wait for me a little near the entrance. I'll take some papers and will take you to my house."

"Ok," Naruto nodded. "I'll go then," and went out of the room.

Yondaime also took a step but Tsunade's voice stopped him.

"That's strange, don't you think? Only one house in the entire village was destroyed by the hurricane…"

Arashi stared at her.

"You don't think," his voice was angry now. "You don't think I would do such a thing to my own son!"

"Wouldn't you?" Tsunade smiled but looking at her predecessor's face she thought she'd better stop it – Arashi had the "kill you now" look.

"I've caused him pain twice in my life," he told her in a wounded voice. "The first was the day I sealed Kyuubi in Naruto. The second one was when Orochimaru used me to kill him. There won't be the third time. Never. If I find out someone was the cause of that hurricane I swear I'll make sure he will regret it a lot."

His voice caused a shiver run along Tsunade's spine, the man standing in front of her didn't look like the friendly goofy person she was used to seeing. All she saw now was a very angry father preparing to rip everyone who tries to do something bad to his child.

Tsunade smiled internally.

"_So you are finally learning it…how to be a father, you go overboard, Arashi, but I'm really glad that Naruto has such a protector. With all the dangers in the world…Akatsuki…I can be sure you'll be safe, Uzumaki._"

"I'm sorry, Arashi," she nodded. "Sometimes I just don't think what I'm talking about."

Yondaime exhaled becoming his old self.

"That's alright," he nodded too. "But it's a really strange story. I must examine the remains of the house."

"Ok," Tsunade answered. "You are off for today, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Arashi's smile returned to his lips. "My son came back home, dammit! I just can't sit here!' with these words he left the room.

Tsunade shook her head in amusement and went to pick up the papers.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello everybody:) Here's the first chapter of the second story. First of all I would like to say big thank you to my beta reader Phillipa Engels who corrected it and helped with meanings of some words (sometimes English becomes confusing to me :) )!

Thank you, reviewers for supporting me! There are a lot of reviews, that's really great! Some of you read my thoughts about the plot (but not all of the thoughts, I think, I still have a lot of surprises :)) )

Enjoy reading (I hope you will) and write reviews, till the next time!

**Chapter 1. Yondaime's house **

Arashi walked out of the building, his hands full with scrolls.

Naruto stared at him.

"Help me, please," the Hokage asked. "There are too many of them. Otherwise I'll lose some along the road."

"Ok," Naruto nodded taking several scrolls. "What is it?"

"Work," came an instant reply.

"Well, that explains everything," Naruto muttered ironically.

Arashi decided not to comment on his answer and just started walking along the street.

Villagers were watching with interest the strange procession of two blonds walking along the street with the pile of scrolls and discussing something lively.

"I won the bet that time," Naruto insisted remembering their last contest at the hidden moon.

Arashi closed his eyes for a moment trying to block out the memory of the pain the kunai caused striking his body.

"I didn't even activate rasengan," he shook his head. "So I insist on a rematch."

"Any time!" Naruto shouted. "But I must tell you, it's off rules, Blondaime!"

Arashi sighed. Where in the world did this blond disaster find this hellish nickname for him!

"We'll have a rematch," he promised. "But not in my house," he came to the door of the two-storied building and opened it.

"Your house?" Naruto repeated turning to his side and understanding they have already arrived. "Oh my, it's big!"

The house looked beautiful, with big windows and ivy hanging all over it.

"Come in," Arashi invited.

"Hai," Naruto nodded and moved ahead.

There was a small room with clothes and hall-stand and a door to the big dining-room. A round table and chairs were in the middle, a sofa standing in the corner, and on the other side were stairs to the second floor. At the end of the room there were more doors.

Naruto looked with amusement at the room. It was beautiful. The reddish style suited perfectly and also for a moment he had a feeling of familiarity like he was here before. But how in the world it could be?

"Well, this is the dining room," Arashi nodded and came to the doors. "Here is the kitchen, bathroom, my office," he tossed pile of scrolls there and took the ones from Naruto's hands as well but they didn't really enter the room. "Here is…hm…another office."

"_Another office_?" Naruto internally wondered. "_He lives alone. Why he should he have two offices_?"

"Let's go upstairs," Arashi exclaimed. "I'll show you your room."

"Ok," Naruto nodded.

They climbed the wide stairs and in the corridor there were four doors.

"There is another bathroom," Yondaime gestured to the last door. "Here is my room, guest's room…and this one will be yours," he opened the closest door on the left side.

"It's not very clean. I haven't really had much time to clean the house. It was empty for 13 years after all," his tone was apologetic. "But I don't think it's too bad. Come here please."

Naruto hesitated for a moment and then took a step into the room.

"Wow!" he exclaimed. It was so different of the room he used to live in. It was done in a light green style. Near the window was a big bed, at the left side there was a bookcase and table. On the floor there was a carpet with some exotic birds. At the other side there was a small table and two armchairs. At the fourth side was a big wardrobe.

The place itself breathed with hospitality and home and some familiarity that Naruto felt some tingling sensation inside his heart. What was that?

Arashi stood in his place trying to understand if his son likes this place or not. Naruto's face was unreadable now – and it wasn't something that usually happened.

"Well," Yondaime said. "I'll go downstairs then. Make yourself at home," and added to himself in his mind. '_It's your real home after all_.'

"Ok," Naruto turned to him, a smile on his face. But still…the expression…was really strange. Arashi couldn't translate it so he just nodded and went out closing the door.

"Sugoi!" Naruto whispered jumping on the bed. "It's the best room I have seen in my life! It's just so…so…" he couldn't find the exact words to describe his feelings.

'_Just don't let Yondaime know I like it that much_,' strange thought came into his mind. '_Yes, shinobi must live in any condition his mission offers him. It's one of the rules,_' he yawned. All this running around the old house tired him.

"_I'll_ _just close my eyes for a moment_," he thought. "_Then…_" a moment later he fell asleep completely.

Arashi who was waiting for him in the dining room began to worry when a half an hour passed.

"_What is he doing_?" he wondered.

Another half an hour later he was at his limits. Yondaime just got up and in a moment was near Naruto's room. He knocked once, twice and there was no answer. So he just opened the door and entered the room.

The scene tightened his heart, Naruto was lying on the bed sleeping peacefully. His hands were spread wide, his hair was a mess.

"Poor thing," Arashi whispered. "You were so tired and I didn't even notice it. What a baka!"

He took out a blanket and carefully, trying not to awake the sleeping boy, covered him with it.

"Sleep," he whispered watching as Naruto was trying to make himself comfortable in his sleep tugging at the blanket. "I hope you'll like living here, after all your mom chose everything in this room."

Then he got up and left the room. He knew it was going to be the usual evening in silence with only him and his office but Arashi didn't feel lonely anymore. After all, the most precious person in his after-after life was here at last.

He was moving slowly downstairs while his thoughts were flowing somewhere in the past.

-----------------

FLASHBACK

------------------

"Don't even think of moving it! It's heavy!" Arashi rushed to his pregnant wife trying to stop her from moving the little table from one part of the room to another.

"Stop it!" She turned to him. "Maybe I'm pregnant but I'm not ill! Also I'm a shinobi so don't act like a scared rabbit running all around!"

"Just let me do it," Arashi insisted, taking the table away from her hands. "Our Naruto is a noisy one, isn't he? Just give him a chance to get out of you earlier and he'll use it at all costs!"

Umi smiled examining him attentively with her big shining blue eyes. He could never resist this look so Arashi just put down the table and came closer giving her an embrace.

"I wonder," she began looking somewhere far away. "What kind of person he'll become? Will he be like you or like me?"

"Looking at his actions," Arashi put his hands on her stomach. "He won't be a quiet one, I'm pretty sure."

"Being Hokage's son is quite a difficult way to live, you know," she continued. "Aren't you afraid he'll have to live in your shadow?"

"Of course not!" Arashi raised an objection. "He'll surpass me and will become the greatest Hokage in our history. Because he has my blood and yours."

"Well," Umi smiled. "I really hope he'll inherit my mind not yours, oh foolish one."

"Nani!" Arashi gasped in a joke.

"Also I think he'll be cute," Umi continued. "I can already see his fan club sitting hear the house waiting for him to come out…Then his first date…how are we going to survive this, Arashi?"

"I don't know," he shook his head. "I wasn't very lucky with girls. Before I met you, of course," he quickly corrected himself receiving a light punch in the ribs from his wife.

"Living in this wonderful house…together," Umi whispered. "Do you think he'll like his room? Will he be happy to live there?"

"Your love is all over the house," Arashi whispered back hiding his nose in her locks. "He'll be happy, there can't be any other way."

-------------------------------

"Oh my, I'm late!" was the first thought that came into Naruto's head when he woke up. He moved out of the bed kicking the blanket off him and standing on the carpet.

"_Wait_," he thought. "I _don't have a carpet!_"

In a moment the things that happened yesterday started to play in his mind.

"Oh my," he remembered. "My house…and…this is not…I'm in Yondaime's house!"

He ran to the window in panic. Well, the sun wasn't too high so it wasn't too late. Is there a clock in this room?

He finally found one on the little table. Looking at the clock Naruto breathed in relief.

"I have plenty of time! That's good!"

He found a mirror in the wardrobe and looked at himself attentively. His blond hair was a mess, he ought to brush it a little. As for his shinobi's clothes they were dirty after the mission.

Naruto sighed in despair. He didn't have a spare set.

"I'll wash them in the evening," he decided. "I have to walk around in this dirty set today but that's nothing. It has been worse."

Finally satisfied a little with his appearance he went out of the room. There was nobody upstairs. The bathroom was also empty so Naruto took a shower finding a clean towel, tooth brush and hair brush and decided it was for him.

Brushing his blond hair he came to the conclusion life isn't as bad as it seemed to be.

Entering to the upstairs' corridor he again found nobody. Where the hell was the Hokage? What if he already left out to go working?

Naruto hummed. This Blondaime didn't look like a person who wakes up early and enjoys working much. So he must be sleeping – with this happy thought Uzumaki went downstairs and headed for the kitchen to find something to eat for breakfast.

His nose caught very delicious smell coming from the kitchen.

"_What is it?"_ Naruto wondered coming in.

The kitchen was all white and shining, with big window coming out to the eastern side so sun rays were all around falling on the blond hair of the man standing near the kitchen-range.

Sensing someone coming in Arashi turned around.

"Oh, Naruto, good morning!" he greeted the boy. "You are an early bird, aren't you?"

Naruto couldn't help but stare at him. Yondaime didn't have his forehead protector now and his hair was hanging out of order all around. He wore light trousers and a sweatshirt. All in all he looked much younger than he used to. This his appearance didn't match at all to the stern, shiny Hokage Naruto had seen in the hidden moon so much that it was unbelievable. To remove the ground from beneath Naruto's feet completely Yondaime was cooking ramen.

"Sit down," Arashi offered in a tone like he hadn't noticed Naruto's reaction. "The breakfast is almost ready. You like ramen, don't you?"

"Yeah…but…you really don't need," was all Naruto could manage. He couldn't remember somebody ever having cooked him a breakfast except for the missions when he had breakfast at the hotels or somebody's houses.

"It's nothing," Yondaime shook his head. "I like ramen too and I often cook it for breakfast."

He took a plate, put the ramen there, and gave it to Naruto.

For the first moment the blond boy examined it suspiciously. It smelled good so Naruto decided to take a bit then another one…

"That's delicious!" he exclaimed a moment later taking more.

Arashi smiled, took his own plate, and sat down at the same table. He put two glasses of milk there too.

"How in the world does he know I like milk?" Naruto wondered.

"Did you sleep well?" Arashi asked examining him attentively.

"Yes," Naruto answered his mouth full of ramen. "I was out like a light."

"Huh," Arashi nodded in approval taking another strand of ramen from his plate.

They were eating in silence not knowing what to say. Finally Naruto finished and stood up.

"Thank you," he said and went to wash the plates.

He did it in a moment and prepared to go find a mission but Arashi stopped him.

"Wait!" Naruto turned back.

"Your suit is all dirty, do you know that?" Yondaime asked looking at him.

"Well, yeah," Naruto sighed not knowing really how to explain it, but Arashi understood it himself.

"You didn't have a spare one? All your clothes were left in the destroyed house, weren't they?"

Naruto nodded.

"_How difficult it is to act around him_," Arashi thought. "_When he's near me in this house he's all silent. I can't believe it's really him! As for myself, I don't know how to speak to him. Oh my, Umi, why did you die leaving me all this? Stop complaining._" He finally ordered himself stopping the flow of thoughts.

"It will be problem to find an orange outfit in the village," he said aloud. "They think the best clothes' style for shinobi is black/blue/green/gray."

"I know," Naruto sighed again in a bored tone thinking why in the world this irritating blond became such a boring dumbass now and how to get out of here.

"I have an idea!" Arashi exclaimed loudly in such an unexpected manner that Naruto jumped. "Come with me!" and he ran upstairs.

Naruto followed him trying not to look like he was curious what Yondaime's idea was. Meanwhile the 4th entered his room and Naruto heard noise like he was looking for something.

"Aha!" Arashi exclaimed finally. "Come in!"

Naruto carefully entered his room. It was larger than his and was decorated in a bluish style. There wasn't a lot of furniture – just a bed and a wardrobe, and a little table with photos.

Some scrolls were lying here and there. Near the bed Naruto noticed a familiar "Flirting paradise" and wondered if Kakashi-sensei gave it to his ex-teacher to read.

Finally he locked his sight on the Hokage who took out a set of clothes from the wardrobe.

Naruto gasped in surprise. It looked very similar to his own but there was more black.

"Where did you find it?" his voice sounded uncertainly.

"Well," Arashi began. "You know, I wore it for some time when I was about your age."

"But…" Naruto didn't know how to explain it. "It's almost like mine."

"Not almost," Arashi corrected. "As for the rest…we are both blondes if you didn't notice yet. Orange suits well with blond hair. Even such a baka as you has noticed it because you wear orange clothes as well."

"Stop calling me baka, Blondaime!" Naruto shouted.

"I'll stop calling you that when you stop acting like you are baka," Arashi smiled. "Go try it on already. It's better than wearing dirty clothes, I'm pretty sure."

"_He is right_," Naruto said to himself. "_But…he keeps calling me baka again and again! I'll just refuse and that's all._ "

"_But_ _do you not even wish to see how you will look like in these clothes?_" the other part of himself asked. "_These clothes don't look awful._"

"Ok," Naruto decided. "I'll try them," and he ran to his room. The whole process didn't take long and a moment later he stared at himself in the mirror.

The outfit suited him perfectly. It looked like it was made just for him. As for the color…his favorite orange…and lots of black. Naruto liked it.

He ran out of the room fining himself face to face with Arashi who decided to check if everything is alright.

"Thank you," Naruto decided to be polite this time. "I'll return it this evening."

"You don't have to," Arashi shrugged. "It looks like I'm too big to wear it anyway so just keep it."

"You are not as bad as I thought," words of the truth left Naruto's mouth before he understood what he had just said.

Arashi looked at him in amusement not knowing what to do – to become angry or happy. Finally he decided to make a joke with it.

"Well, you look good in it. Not as handsome as me anyway, but…"

"Nani!" Naruto shouted not believing his ears. This last sentence was so…Ero-Senninish… "_Well, Yondaime was his student so…_" Naruto sighed. "_If he's like Ero-Sennin I can live with that. Then, again, he's not as bad as I used to think he was._"

He raised his chin facing a smiling Arashi.

"_Maybe I should try my sexy-no-jutsu on him_," the interesting thought came into his mind. "_His reaction…I really wanna see it! But apparently it's not going to happen today, I must be prepared._"

"I'll go then!" he ran down the stairs his thoughts full of evil plans.

"See you!" was all Arashi could manage. He slowly went down the stairs thinking.

"_Why, looking at him, did I have a feeling he has plotted something?_" he made another step and another thought came into his mind. "_Also_ _why do I have a feeling I won't like it?_"


	3. Chapter 3

Hello, everybody! Here I am again :) with the next chapter!

First of all, I would like to say my biggest greatest thanks to my beta-reader, Phillipa Engels, she helped me a lot!

And of course thank you, all the reviewers! For pleasant words and criticism too, I'll try to keep it in my mind while writing the story. :)

mysticblu19, Umi's origins will be revealed in one of the next chapters, just wait. ;)

Lord Vicious, about hurricane…this chapter will give some answers but not all of them…

Master Franny, Jiraiya won't appear soon (maybe even in this part at all)…and something will happen…of course ;)

Drager, I haven't thought about Hinata and Arashi met at all but it's a good thought. Thank you!

ephermeral dewdrops, thank you for the compliment about my writing, if I could help you with some tips you are free to ask :)

I hope you'll like this chapter and it won't disappoint your expectations. Anyway I'm waiting for your reviews! Till the next time!

**Chapter 2. Hokage's work. **

During his lunchtime Arashi snuck out of the office and went to examine the remains of Naruto's house.

His lips turned into a thin line when he saw what remained of the house his son had lived for all his life. Coming closer Arashi saw he was not alone – another figure with familiar white hair was walking around the ruins.

"Arashi-sensei," Kakashi turned around.

Yondaime nodded and joined him.

"Any clues?" he asked.

Kakashi shrugged.

"I don't know. Nothing special. It was really a hurricane but about the cause…I just don't know."

"Give me some space," Arashi asked coming closer.

"Hai," Kakashi nodded moving behind him. "May I?" the last question was said in such a childish manner that Arashi couldn't resist a smile.

"Of course you may," he answered. "You don't know this jutsu and it could be useful to learn it. Again, you can notice something I can't."

"Ok," Kakashi put down his mask a little revealing sharingan.

Arashi made a bunch of seals and explained.

"Chakra goes to the fingers, get it?"

"Yes," Kakashi nodded.

"Kage kioku no jutsu (shadow memory)," Arashi breathed out and a small version of hurricane appeared in front of him crushing the remains of boards.

It lasted for a few moments and then little hurricane disappeared and expression on Arashi's face changed into a gloomy one.

"This jutsu…" Kakashi came closer.

"Yes, it performs the jutsu that had been performed before, a small version of it using the memory of this place," Arashi explained.

"So it wasn't a simple hurricane," Kakashi concluded.

"No," Arashi nodded. "I think I saw this technique a long time ago."

Kakashi looked worried.

"Could it be?"

"There is a high possibility," Arashi nodded again.

"What shall we do?" Kakashi asked him.

"I shall ask Tsunade to cancel all Naruto's missions outside Konoha," Arashi said. "Kakashi, I wish you to find several ANBU who you trust the most. They should follow him anywhere when he's outside my house. Of course he shouldn't know about it. I'll prepare the assignment."

"We don't know their goal," Kakashi said looking at the remains of the house.

"Well," Arashi joined him. "It looks rather obvious."

"Or they just want us to think that way," the white-haired jounin concluded.

"Anyway, if they are in Konoha and nobody noticed them…" Yondaime sighed. "We'd better prepare for the worst case scenario."

"Yes," Kakashi nodded.

Naruto was walking along the streets all worn out. Three D-missions in a day – Tsunade-baachan was really unstoppable. He caught himself on the thought, he didn't remember where Yondaime's house was. Was it eastern side… or western one?

"Hello, baka!" familiar annoying voice greeted him.

"AA!" Naruto turned back. "Blondaime!"

Yes, it was the one and only blond hokage in Konoha wearing his robe and smiling widely.

"Looks like you forgot where my house is," he concluded.

"No way!" Naruto shouted. "I'm just…yes…just walking around the village."

Arashi cocked his head.

"_Of course, and you think I believe you_," was written in his expression.

"Well, anyway," he decided to give up on this topic. "Let's go to Ichiraku's" and looking at Naruto's uncertain face added. "I'll pay. I'm the Hokage after all. Hokages must help their subordinates."

"That's cool!" Naruto shouted and headed to his favorite restaurant. Arashi just followed him.

"Yondaime-sama, Naruto!" Ichiraku was glad to see them both. "Up for another ramen challenge?"

"No," Arashi laughed. "Today we have just come to eat some ramen."

"That's ok. Wait a couple of minutes then," the restaurant's owner nodded.

"Why do you come here?" Naruto asked when the ramen was brought and they began to eat. "You cook ramen perfectly!"

"Not better than here," Arashi answered. "After all Ichiraku was the one who taught me to cook it."

"Really?" Naruto looked shocked. Yondaime was full of surprises.

"Why?" he asked when the first wave of wonder moved back.

"Well," Arashi smiled remembering something. "It was long time ago and I wanted to impress somebody with my cooking skills badly."

Naruto smiled. It seemed very suitable for Yondaime to do such a thing.

"Was this person impressed?" he asked.

"Nah," Arashi sighed looking into his plate attentively. "It appeared that she didn't like ramen at all."

Naruto laughed and caught himself on the thought that now maybe for the first time since they first met he felt completely comfortable with the 4th Hokage. It was like sitting with some friend.

"_Maybe I should give up on this sexy-no-jutsu plan after all_," he thought.

"Naruto!" he was distracted by afamiliar voice from somewhere behind him.

"Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino!" he smiled greeting his friends.

"How are you?" Shikamaru began and stopped noticing the Hokage. "Oh, you are busy."

"Actually I thought about leaving," Arashi nodded to the empty bowl. "Naruto, are you staying here?"

"Yes!" blond genin smiled.

"Ok." Yondaime took a piece of paper and quickly drew a plan there. "Here is the path to my house. Don't get lost," he said. "North is here."

"I know," Naruto growled taking the map.

"Just for sure," Arashi smiled and said to restaurant's owner. "I'll pay at the end of the week as usual, ok, Ichiraku? Include Naruto's expenses into the list too."

"Of course, Yondaime-sama," came an immediate reply.

Arashi nodded and headed towards the door. At the doorstep he turned and looked at Naruto.

The blond genin looked back.

"Don't be…" Arashi began and stopped in the middle of the phrase 'don't be late' – he decided it sounded too parental. "See you later," he quickly corrected himself and went outside into the fresh air of Konoha's evening.

Shikamaru took the Hokage's seat and sat at Naruto's side. Ino and Chouji joined them.

"What is it like?" Ino began. "To live with the Hokage? Is his house really big?"

"That's rather big," Naruto shrugged. "It's too big for one person."

"Yondaime is scary," Ino continued. "How aren't you afraid to live with him?"

"Scary? Him?" Naruto laughed. "He's one of the funniest people I've met in my whole life!"

"Funny?" Shikamaru stared at him. "I think it's not the proper word to describe him. No, he's not scary. He's calm, stern, the real leader."

"He likes ramen a lot," Chouji said looking at the empty bowls Arashi had left.

Naruto shook his head in amusement. Here, all of them said different things about Yondaime. It looked like they weren't talking about the same person.

"_Which of them is the real Hokage called Arashi_?" he wondered.

"By the way, nice suit," Ino smiled to him.

Naruto blushed a little. It was unexpected to hear such a sentence from her.

"It suits you well," she added a second later.

"Thank you!" now Naruto's grin became wider. "_I think I'd better keep it forever like Yondaime said_," he thought.

"You have been on mission, haven't you?" he asked. "Tell me, was it interesting?"

"Well, it wasn't bad," Shikamaru nodded. "We were…"

Naruto entered Arashi's house sometime in the late evening.

"_I wonder, is Blondaime already asleep_?" he thought but then noticed there were lights in the office downstairs.

"_Will he be angry if I go in_?" Naruto wondered. "_I'll try…"_ and with this thoughts he opened the door.

Arashi was sitting and reading some scrolls.

Naruto looked around the room. Books….scrolls…they were everywhere – in the bookcase, on the table, even on the floor. The dark brown, wood furniture looked really good in here.

Yondaime raised his head eyeing the unexpected visitor.

"Didn't lose your way this time, baka?" he smiled.

"AAh!" Naruto shouted. "I didn't but it was really difficult with such an awfully drawn map." With these words he parried Arashi's expression.

"_You never lose, do you?"_ Arashi smiled to himself.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked coming closer. There were different scrolls and it looked like Yondaime is trying to divide them for some reason.

"I'm reading mission requests," Arashi explained. "Then I decide which rank the mission will be."

"I see," Naruto nodded. "So that's how it's done. That's interesting. Can I…" he stopped not quite sure if he should continue.

Yondaime understood him without words.

"Take the chair and sit down here if you wish," he told him. "I'll show you how it is done."

It took a moment. Naruto sat nearby his eyes shining with eagerness.

"The main rule you should keep in your head," Arashi began to explain remembering Sarutobi's advice who taught him this long ago. "You should be focused on this. A lot depends on it. If you're mistaken and choose different rank for the mission then your own people can be hurt. They won't be prepared for such a difficult mission."

"Yes," Naruto nodded. He remembered his first mission too well. Beginning with "C " rank it appeared to be "B". Sasuke…he almost died there…

"There are a lot of different conditions for dividing the missions into ranks. First you read the mission description and try to understand what is hidden behind the words. Sometimes those who make requests don't write all the truth. You should keep your mind open and try to understand the real situation. Such as…" he pulled out one of the scrolls. "Have a look at this…"

Naruto took the scroll and began to read it. Hard concentration reflected in his features. Now he didn't look like the boy who always tried to be the biggest prankster in all of Konoha. He really put all his effort into understanding it.

"_You really want to become the Hokage,"_ Arashi smiled to himself. "_But do you know this job isn't as nice as you used to think about it? I'll tell you…one day…about hard choices you have to make, about things you should sacrifice, but it won't be today. I don't want you to give up on your dream, Naruto._"

"Well," Naruto finished reading and sat with expression full of thought for awhile. "According to all the conditions it looks like "C" rank mission."

"Why did you decide this way?" Arashi asked.

"Look…" blond genin pointed to the scroll. "They say about probability of robbers at the road. So it can't be "D". But robbers aren't that bad. They are not shinobies after all. So it can't be "B". That's how I think."

"Close enough," Arashi nodded. "But it's "B" apparently."

"Why?" Naruto looked surprised.

"Look at the last sentence," Arashi pointed out. "They talk about some unfriendly shinobies' village not so far from the road."

"AAh!" Naruto shouted again. "I didn't notice it! It was written in such a distant manner!"

"That's what I'm talking about,' Arashi smiled. "Always look attentively."

Naruto stared at him with eyes full of eagerness.

"Can I?" he asked. "Make another try?"

"Of course," Arashi nodded smiling widely.

An hour or so passed.

"Well, it looks like you are getting a grip on it finally," Arashi concluded. In the last 15 minutes Naruto didn't make a mistake, perfectly dividing the scrolls. Truth to be told these missions weren't difficult to interpret. But the last one…it was a pain in ass.

"That's "B"," Yondaime made his verdict.

Naruto took the scroll examining it closer.

"No," his brows came closer one to another. He was thinking a lot. "Something is really wrong. Look, in the beginning they talk about one place…to the end its name changes. There are two variants. The first is they don't know what they are talking about. The second is they try to confuse us. Then the hidden stone village is somewhere near, am I right? The word 'competitors' is here… so there is a high possibility of clash between shinobies. What we have – not very much information, an enemy's village nearby, and very difficult landscape. It's an "A" ranked mission."

Arashi was surprised. Such an analysis from this boy, and was he right?

"You are right," he finally had to admit. "It's an "A" ranked mission."

"Yes!" Naruto shouted. "I'm right!" He jumped out of his seat full of joy, ran a little, and finally turned around accidentally crashing into a photo standing on the little table sending it to the floor.

Arashi moved really quickly. Using his jutsu he caught it a few centimeters from the floor.

"Nani?" Naruto turned around not understanding what has just happened.

"Huf," Arashi breathed out putting it at its place again. "Please, be more careful next time."

"I'm sorry," Naruto told him in a small voice. "I…"

His look fell onto the photo and he froze in his place.

She was an angel. She was very beautiful. Naruto thought she was the most beautiful girl he had seen in his lifetime. Dark hair contrasted with red lips and blue eyes with long lashes to make the picture completely out of this world. Naruto felt himself beginning to blush. But why in the world did he have a feeling somewhere in his heart that she was familiar to him that he had seen her before. He just didn't know.

"Who is she?" he didn't recognize his voice. "She is…so…beautiful."

Yondaime's look froze somewhere near the photo as if he was remembering something. He breathed out a sad smile.

"She is…was…my wife."

"Your wife?" Naruto was surprised for a moment but finally it dawned on him. A big house…two offices…He…Yondaime wasn't going to live alone!

"Where is she now?" he couldn't believe his courage.

Arashi's look became uneasy.

"She died," he finally managed to answer trying not to look in Naruto's direction.

"Dead," Naruto repeated to himself. How did it happen? Who was she? Thousands of questions were floating in his mind but he couldn't find any way to ask.

"I'm sorry," he said not knowing why.

"That's ok," Arashi's voice tried to be emotionless but it cracked in the end. "It was…long ago."

He closed his eyes for a moment. For him…in his life only a month and a half had passed. The wound in his heart was too fresh and no matter how well he tried to hide it he just couldn't manage with the pain.

"I'll go to bed," Naruto moved to the exit. The friendly happy moment was broken and he felt really uneasy.

"Good night," Arashi nodded continuing looking at the photo.

Naruto nodded and went out of the room. He closed the door and for a moment just stood unable to move trying to cope with this feeling. Why…just why had everything inside him screamed that he should return and say something to make Yondaime feel better? Why it was so hard for him to see the 4th sad?

Naruto shook his head. Sometimes he really didn't understand himself. He made a step then another one and went to his room.

"_I wonder, what kind of couple they were?"_ a strange thought came into his mind and then he fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everybody! Here is the new chapter finally. It took time and it isn't very big (I had a choice – either to write a big chapter and wait another week to finish it or to publish it now. I chose the last variant).

I wanna say my biggest thanks to my beta-reader Phillipa Engles, who helps me a lot (btw, KyuubiMan, I told her your thanks :) )

Thank you, all the reviewers, for your reviews and thoughts about the story, I hope, I won't disappoint you, write more reviews:)

I don't think there will be much pairing except for Arashi's and Umi's in flashbacks. So much is going to happen; I don't think they will have time to for it.

Zafiro Okami, Iruka is ok, really! Just on some meeting with other teachers, it's really that way!

About thoughts who divides the missions – well, hokage or not, this scene – Arashi teaching Naruto about hokage's job - just came into my mind, I couldn't resist…

This chapter will give some answers about Umi's identity. Oh, I'm stopping spoilering, just read it and review!

Till the next time!

**Chapter 3. Present and Past.**

Arashi didn't even hear Naruto going out of the room. A wave of memories caught him with full force. Why…till this moment he hadn't felt that much pain, but what was going on with him now? Just seeing Naruto with this photo awoke something that was sleeping inside his heart.

"Umi," he whispered. "I remember…every moment…our first meeting…like it was yesterday."

A weak smile appeared on his tired face. It looked like only these memories kept him alive.

FLASHBACK

"That Sarutobi," Arashi sighed running at full speed. "His goal is to kill me, I'm pretty sure!"

He had just returned from a hard mission and the Hokage had just told him.

"There are talks being held between hidden mist and hidden leaf. Arashi, that's very important. If the Hokage goes to it, it will be a nice move. I won't be in time but your body flicker is a very nice trick. We need this peace agreement. Hidden mist can be a powerful ally in these difficult times."

"But…"Arashi tried to interrupt him. "These talks are serious. As for me… I don't think I'm ready. I have only been the Hokage for several months, Sarutobi-san."

"Arashi," the elder man smiled. "Calm down. I have trust in you. You would never be given the Hokage title if you weren't prepared for this."

"So that's ended like this," Arashi sighed again. "I swear I'll take a vacation after my return for a month and no one could make me do this again."

He looked at his watch.

"_Anyway, I'm almost in time. I'll just take a boat now and everything will be ok."_

He moved to the shore not looking anywhere except the boat and suddenly bumped into something alive.

"Ouch!" a masked shinobi shouted and jumped in surprise.

Arashi stopped examining him. The Hidden mist's forehead protector was on his head. Dark cloth covered almost all his face except for the eyes – blue like Arashi's own. As for the clothes – heavy armor was all over his body. "_Looks like this boy is afraid of being hurt_," Arashi thought.

"Sorry," Yondaime apologized quickly and moved to the boat master.

"I wanna hire a boat," he began.

"No, it's my boat," the masked shinobi stepped ahead. "I came earlier."

"Sorry," Arashi smiled. "But I have no time for all these disputes. The boat is mine."

"Maybe you wanna say you are stronger, boy?" the hidden mist shinobi laughed. "So strong that you are able to take this boat from me?"

"Just try me," Arashi smiled wider.

"Stop it, please!" boat master shouted and ran away.

The masked shinobi hummed.

"What a brave person. But he made the right choice, you know!" he said.

Arashi shrugged and moved closer to the boat. His opponent did the same.

"Look," Yondaime sighed. "There is no need to start a fight for this boat. You are going to the hidden mist village, aren't you? Me too, I have talks there. So let's go together and it's the end of the problem."

"What if I say 'no'?" the masked shinobi turned to him.

Arashi could swear he felt a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Then I'll take it a more painful way," Arashi answered.

"What rank are you?" his opponent asked suddenly. "Are you chuunin?"

Arashi growled internally. This…little…boy he offended the Hokage!

"_Calm down,_" he thought. "_Your enemy shouldn't know his opponent's real strength. It's his weakness. He underestimated you. Just wait till their village and he'll be very surprised_."

He smiled.

"Chuunin, jounin, why should you care? Are you afraid of me?"

"In your dreams," the masked shinobi took a seat in the front part of the boat. Arashi took the back seat.

The hidden mist shinobi made some quick moves, gathered chakra, and the boat began to move itself.

"_He makes the water push it_," Arashi understood. "_Nice trick. He is powerful. I wonder what his rank is. Jounin is the most likely choice._"

"What are you staring at?" his companion said in an annoyed tone. "Do you have problems, boy?"

"_What's wrong with him?"_ Arashi wondered and then realization struck him.

"_He's afraid of me. He doesn't know what to expect from me so he just acts cheeky_."

"_Funny,"_ he smiled to himself. "_This shinobi is a funny boy."_

"No," he finally answered aloud. "Just thinking about the talks, that's all."

"Your first talks, yeah?" hidden mist shinobi's voice was full of understanding.

Arashi was surprised. Why all of a sudden? But it felt better than arguing so he answered simply.

"Actually no, but it will be difficult…I'm sure. Hidden mist…and hidden leaf…our villages have been enemies for a long time after all…"

"But it can change now," masked shinobi whispered. "Are you glad?"

"Yes, why not," Arashi shrugged. "We don't need enemies. We are a peaceful village."

The Hidden mist shinobi laughed.

"It's unexpected to hear such words form hidden leaf shinobi. You are so overconfident…"

"You know," Arashi looked at him attentively. "We are not as different as you think. We are struggling to be the best ones in our villages, to accomplish missions no matter what rank they are. We both want our villages to prosper. Am I right?"

"Yeah," the hidden mist shinobi lowered his head. All his cheekiness disappeared somewhere. "I see you have prepared for the talks well." He added and looked at Arashi attentively like he wanted to ask something. But he never had a chance for it. A wave rose in front of them revealing a huge head of a water monster.

Arashi didn't have time to think. He just acted the way Sarutobi taught him.

"Katon, Karyuu Endan!" he shouted performing the flaming dragon jutsu.

"Fool!" the hidden mist shinobi shouted eyeing the monster roaring in pain. "You could burn the boat!"

"It's better than being dead, don't you think so?" Arashi shouted back.

"You can do this an easier way," the mist shinobi answered pulling out two kunais.

Arashi laughed.

"Two small knives to kill a monster! You are braver than I thought!"

His companion just ignored him.

"Raizou ikazuchi wo utte! (lightning strike)" he shouted and two huge lightning bolts struck the monster and he fell dead.

"An easier way?" Arashi hummed. "That's nice."

"Impressed, blondy?" the masked shinobi turned to him putting his kunais in place.

"Interesting technique," Arashi nodded. "_He is talented,"_ he added to himself.

"Yours too," the hidden mist shinobi admitted. "So you are jounin level. I was mistaken."

Arashi didn't answer him. He just sat down in the boat and they continued they trip.

A few minutes later a shore appeared in front of then and Arashi saw a gray-haired man running towards the boat.

"I'm so glad, Umi-sama!" he shouted. "You are just in time, midzukage-sama! We are awaiting a special guest from Konoha and your presence is really…" he trailed off, finally noticing Arashi's forehead protector.

The latter looked like he hadn't noticed him. Arashi felt his attention moving away from him in shock of those words.

"Midzukage?" he turned back to his companion to see him taking off his mask and revealing the most beautiful woman he had seen in his life. Raven hair perfectly cascaded down her spine and her lips were…he couldn't find words to describe them. At this moment he felt his heart was beating like it was going to explode.

"A..ah," was the only words he could manage before blushing completely.

The hidden mist shinobi in front of him enjoyed the scene a lot. Seconds passed and Arashi coping with his feelings scratched his head and laughed like an idiot.

"Midzukage, eh? That's unexpected…"

"Surprised?" she smiled and he felt he was blushing even more.

"Ye..yeah," he breathed out. "Well…speaking about kages…I'm a kage myself," and continued laughing and scratching his head.

"Nani!" now her facial expression was priceless.

Arashi made an internal shout of victory while eyeing her and finally became his old self.

"I'm Arashi, Yondaime Hokage from Konoha," he introduced himself. "Nice to meet you."

Her blush was her only answer to him.

Naruto ran down the stairs and headed for the kitchen. All he wanted now was to see and be assured that Yondaime was alright after yesterday's talk. Delicious smells struck his nostrils once again and Naruto smiled and entered the kitchen exclaiming.

"Ohayou!"

"Ohayou, Naruto!" Arashi turned around in familiar home suit – trousers and sweatshirt – and put the plate on the table.

"Here is your breakfast."

Naruto sat down and examined the content of the plate.

"Vegetables!" he pinched his nose.

"Yes, vegetables," Yondaime sat down next to him with his own plate. "Is there a problem?"

"Well, I'm not hungry," Naruto answered but his stomach growled betraying him.

Arashi's brows went higher in surprise. This was apparently something new.

"I'd better be going," Naruto jumped and headed for the door.

A flash flew past him and Yondaime blocked the exit.

"Going somewhere, Uzumaki Naruto?" he asked with a voice full of menace.

"I've…just…remembered about something…really important," Naruto began to bubble.

Arashi rolled his eyes.

"Not before you eat your breakfast," he told him in a stern tone.

Naruto sighed. It looked like an impossible task to get out of here.

"I hate vegetables," he finally revealed the truth.

Arashi snorted.

"You had to say it first and not think up thousands of excuses," he said.

"So…you won't make me eat it!" Naruto felt relieved.

"Actually, I'll make you anyway," Arashi's smile became wider.

"Nani!" Naruto shouted. "It's not fair, Blondaime!"

"You won't go anywhere before you eat your breakfast," Yondaime warned becoming serious. "Naruto, vegetables are health-giving for shinobi. You won't grow up if you eat just ramen every day."

"_Umi_ _would kill me if she saw I treat you to ramen every day,_" he added to himself.

Naruto made really sad eyes.

"Please," he asked. "Not vegetables."

"Just eat a bit," Arashi assured him "You'll like it!"

Naruto sighed. He really didn't want to disappoint the host of the house especially after what happened yesterday, but vegetables…

"_I can survive it. One time and he will never make me do it again,_" he promised to himself and sat at the table, took his plate, and finally desperately tookcould one bite.

"Um?" he didn't understand at first moment. How in the world could vegetables taste so wonderful? He took another bite to check for sure. Yes, it was delicious.

"What have you done to them?" he asked. "They aren't as awful as I thought!"

"I just cooked them, baka," Arashi smiled.

First Naruto's reaction was to shout.

"I'm not a baka!" but then he looked at Yondaime and realized something. 'Baka' wasn't a curse on his lips. In his tone…it was something filled with concern…and joy.

"_I'm starting to like him calling me 'baka'_," Naruto though shocked. "_I'm going crazy_."

To make himself forget these thoughts he just took another mouthful of vegetables.

"I have to go," Yondaime stood up and washed the plates. "I have some meetings appointed and I'd better not to be late. See you!" and in a moment he flashed out of the kitchen.

"I wish I could move with such speed," Naruto sighed looking at the closed door. "I would never be late then."


	5. Chapter 5

Hello everybody! It has been a while… Sorry!

Thank you for your reviews! I hope to hear from you again, your opinions about this chapter!

With great help of my beta-reader, Phillipa Engles, this chapter is now free of grammar error. Thank you, Phillipa!

Also this chapter is the last before…

**Chapter 4. Before the storm**

Kakashi was standing near the monument for the fallen shinobis staring into space like he did every morning.

"Do you come here every day?" a newcomer asked him and Hatake turned around to find the blond hokage.

"Yes," he nodded. "I…just don't want him to be all alone…He didn't like it."

"Obito liked being in company," Arashi smiled.

"Sometimes I wonder…" Kakashi kept staring at the monument. "What kind of shinobi he would have become?"

"You know," Arashi looked at him attentively. "You remind me a lot of him. Your manner of speaking, actions…it's almost like a part of him is still living."

"Well," Kakashi ruffled his hair and breathed out a sad smile. "A part of him is really living in me."

"Let's go training," Yondaime offered trying to make the situation easier. "I want to see how much you've improved."

Now a real smile appeared on his ex-student's lips.

"With pleasure, sensei," he nodded. "You'll be surprised."

"I really hope so," Arashi smiled back. "You had a lot of time to train while I was…hm…out."

While talking they came to the familiar training spot.

"Bell training?" Arashi offered still smiling.

"Nah," Kakashi shook his head in humorous fear. "I remember your thousand years of pain too well."

Arashi laughed.

"You deserved, it fighting me in such a reckless manner."

"Doesn't matter," Kakashi's grin became evil. "I paid it back to your son."

"Nani?" Arashi stared at him. "You caught him with that trick? I can't believe it!"

"You didn't hear the whole story," Kakashi kept smiling. "He was the one who was tied to the log – after all he tried to eat all the breakfast himself."

Arashi's gaze radiated partly with laughter and partly with despair.

"My only son…caught with such an easy trick…" he sighed.

"He began his shinobi career as a prankster who just talked a lot," Kakashi said becoming serious. "But he became strong in a short time. I couldn't believe my eyes! He mastered rasengan…he reminds me of you more and more with time, and his heart…"

"His heart is Umi's," Arashi smiled. "Do you remember?"

"Your quarrels! How could I forget them! " Kakashi laughed.

FLASHBACK

------------------

Three of them – Kakashi, Arashi and Umi were having dinner at Yondaime's house. Jokes and laughter filled the house. Finally the talk's topic came to Naruto and Umi became serious.

"He'll become mizukage. " she said.

"No way!" Arashi answered. "He'll become hokage, I'm telling you!"

"You are not the one to choose," Umi hummed. "He'll be a perfect mizukage."

"We have already decided," Arashi insisted. "Our second child will become mizukage but the first one will be hokage, that's for sure!"

"Eh, sorry," Kakashi's hesitant voice interrupted them. "Maybe you should let him choose who he will become?"

"Shut up!" they turned to him and answered at the same time. "He will become mizukage!" Umi said while Arashi insisted on the hokage version.

Finally realizing the foolishness of the situation they looked at one another and burst into laughter.

-------------------

"I was right after all," Arashi breathed out with a sad smile. "One day he'll become hokage."

"He failed his first chuunin exam," Kakashi reminded him. "He isn't prepared for the second one."

"To make things worse we can't let him participate in it – the ones who destroyed his house aren't caught yet." Arashi nodded.

"If you say that you forbid him to participate in the exams he'll hate you." Kakashi warned.

"It is for his own sake…even if it happens," Arashi said in stern voice. "He'll understand me one day. I just hope that day won't be too late for both of us," he whispered.

Kakashi, not knowing what to say, just slipped into defense stance offering for Arashi to begin the training fight.

The first move didn't take long – Arashi shot a couple of shuriken and with a fast move of his hand doubled their count. Kakashi avoided them partly with kunai and partly by simply moving out of their way.

"Not bad," Arashi nodded slipping into a defensive stance himself. "Now it's your turn."

Kakashi moved to his side. This time he used taijutsu. Their legs met on the ground then in the air and then Arashi tried to make a counterattack but Kakashi blocked his fist. They jumped in opposite directions eyeing one another.

"Let's see your copy abilities now," Arashi offered making some fast moves with his hands. Kakashi copied them perfectly. It looked like some fire jutsu…or…no…water?

"Surprise!" somebody said behind his back and Kakashi turned around to receive a kick. He blocked it but not completely – the moves caused pain.

"You distracted me and sent a clone," he smiled facing real Arashi while the second one who kicked him disappeared with the loud "puph".

"Looks like I won," Yondaime declared.

"Only hurt me a little," Kakashi smiled again. "Now get ready sensei. I won't hold back!"

He increased his speed and activated his sharingan. Different jutsus were sent towards Arashi. Fire, water – everything was there.

"Hey, not so fast!" Arashi joked blocking them. "Oh, here's a newer one, I haven't seen this in my life!"

"Come on, use your body flicker!" Kakashi insisted. "Otherwise I'll hurt you!"

"Try if you can," Arashi smiled and disappeared behind the tree. Kakashi ran there to find nothing. Of course, he didn't expect an easy fight from his sensei, did he?

Thick fog gathered at their fighting place.

"Trying to block my sharingan with your hidden mist's tricks?" Kakashi muttered. "Where are you hiding? This way…or…" his eyes caught a broken branch of the tree. He came closer to examine it. "_No, it's too easy. He is trying to make me think he ran this way. What's his real purpose?_"

Suddenly a thought struck him.

"_It's bait! To move me into the place he needs!_"

He tried to move but it was too late.

"Doton Shinjiuuzanshu no jutsu!" he heard a shout from somewhere under the ground.

Kakashi tried to move out of the dangerous territory but Yondaime was too fast. A moment later copy ninja found himself caught in the ground, Arashi smiling in front of him.  
"Not bad, Kakashi," Arashi acknowledged while helping him to get out of the earth's prison. "Previously I could handle with you without body flicker but now to prepare the trap I had to use it. Otherwise it would be impossible – you analyze the situation too fast. You've obviously improved a lot."

"Yeah," Kakashi sighed. "But the result is the same as always. Arashi-sensei…I…could you show me the 'body-flicker' technique again? I thought…"

"Of course," Arashi nodded. "Your sharingan abilities are certainly higher than they were in those days. You couldn't master this technique but maybe you can do it now!" with those words he activated his technique and made a few moves. And then more moves and more…

"Got it," Kakashi nodded and got up. "Hiraishin no jutsu!" he said and tried to move the same way. After a few moments he gave up.

"No, it's still impossible for me. Nobody after you could repeat this technique. You know, I thought a lot about it. It's not a simple technique, that's what I think. Arashi-sensei, it's bloodline limit, I'm sure."

"Bloodline limit of the family I never knew," Arashi sighed becoming sad and stared somewhere far away. "Maybe you are right. One day, I hope, I'll have a chance to know it."

"Naruto," Kakashi smiled. "How old were you when you used this technique for the first time?"

Arashi shrugged.

"About his age. You know, you are right. After this entire story with assassins I should try to teach him…if he permits…" he added a second later.

"If he masters body flicker, I'm afraid there won't be any rivals for him at the chuunin exam," Kakashi laughed.

-------------------------------------------------------

"Catch the cat, plant trees, clean up the house," Naruto read the list of missions for today given to him by Godaime and became angrier with every minute.

"Tsunade-baachan!" he shouted to her but the 5th only turned around a little and smiled.

"Sorry, Naruto! I should be at the hospital and I don't have time to talk with you. Just do these missions already!"

Naruto sighed remembering the conversation while he was heading to Konoha's central building again to speak with her. He had already done these missions but it was really annoying. He, a shinobi, with "B" and even "A" missions in his list…it was a shame to take so many "D" missions lately.

He prepared his speech and entered Tsunade's room. Nobody was here.

"Just perfect," Naruto growled. "But…it has to be stopped! But…she is not here."

"Wait…" he came to another conclusion. "If Tsunade-baachan isn't here then there is another hokage to speak to about it!" Yes, this Blondaime was a pain in ass but sometimes Naruto felt it was easier to make him understand his problems than to explain them to the 5th.

"Blondaim…" he began entering the room of the 4th and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Yondaime was talking with a gray haired man, one of the elders as Naruto recalled. But another thing impressed him. The hokage's stance, movements, language…

"I understand," Arashi nodded. "But it is hardly possible. I have a lot of work here, in Konoha."

"Arashi-sama," old man sighed. "You are our last hope for these talks. You are really talented in this field. Just remember your infamous agreement with the hidden mist. Nobody before you could do that!"

"Just look what happened after," Arashi protested. "The agreement was broken 6 months after my death. There are a lot of skilled negotiators in Konoha."

"But Arashi-sama…they want you," gray-haired man sighed again.

"_Why in the hell!_" Arashi cursed to himself. "_Why does it happen at the same moment when Naruto is in danger? Was it really wise for me to stay as the hokage? Maybe I'd do better to give up? No..._" he answered to his own question. "_I must be an example for my son. I can't…_"

"What's your answer, Yondaime-sama?" the elder asked.

Arashi walked to the window and looked outside.

"Ok, I'll participate in the talks," he finally agreed. "But it's only this time. Don't try to drag me into this process on a constant basis."

"We understand, hokage-sama," gray-haired man nodded and moved out of the room.

Naruto watched the scene in awe. So, that was what Shikamaru and Ino were talking about – this part of the hokage. Yes, it was really the part one could be scared of or respect. He was such a…stern…calm person at this moment. For a moment Naruto even wondered if he should talk to him.

The gray-haired man walked past Naruto and closed the door leaving them alone.

Hokage sighed and finally looked at Naruto. At the same moment his expression changed becoming more lively and funnier.

"Sometimes I really hate them," he said and fell into his armchair offering for Naruto, with a hand gesture, to do the same. "You came to say hello or is it some business?"

"Y..yeah, business actually," Naruto said quickly becoming afraid of Arashi just telling him to get out because he's too busy.

"Business? What business?" Yondaime looked at him attentively.

Naruto lowered his head.

"I'm tired of D-rank missions! I understand I'm genin but just look at my mission list! I can participate even in an A-mission already! Why couldn't you give me at least C-rank mission!"

Arashi looked at him again and at the same moment Naruto felt Yondaime understood him completely. How in the world did he do it? Making people trust him that much…understand their feelings with just one look!

"Look," the Hokage began keep looking him in the eyes attentively. "You have already seen most of the missions that came in yesterday. Do you remember? There are a lot of "D", some "A" and most of them are "B". There weren't "C" missions!"

Naruto sighed. He was right, how could he forget? He had sorted those missions with his own hands!

"Maybe…there could be some "B" missions with a jounin?" he asked. "I can do it, I swear!"

"Naruto, all the jounins are on their missions," Arashi explained, "Outside Konoha. Except for Kakashi but he is on special mission here."

"So maybe…we can go on mission together?" Naruto offered and shut up at that moment.

_He…with his own lips had suggested it! To go on a mission with the person who sealed Kyuubi in him!_

"_Sealed Kyuubi…and now what?_" someone's sardonic voice inside his mind retorted. "_But he is a good man and you really enjoy being with him, don't you?_"

Arashi looked at Naruto his eyes wide open. Had he really heard that just a second before? Naruto himself offered for them to take a mission together?

"_Damn my job,_" he cursed. "_If I didn't have it I really could go on mission with him again and that would be great._"

"Sorry…" he sighed. "You heard my conversation with the elder. They want me to participate in their talks."

Naruto lowered his head.

"But…" Arashi continued. "As soon as I'm back we could think about some missions…together. We will just sit and look through the scrolls and choose something interesting. Do you agree?"

"Yes!" Naruto smiled not really understanding himself_. Signing out on another mission with this…this…_

"Naruto," Yondaime's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "I'm going out of the village for awhile so you are on your own. You are my house's host for that time."

He closed his eyes for a moment and scary images of Naruto organizing some party in his house and crushing it with some new jutsu came into his mind.

"_Don't think about something bad,_" he ordered to himself and continued.

"Can you live with that?"

"Of course!" Naruto nodded. A part of him shouted in joy – such a big house and all his own, and the other part became sad – it will be boring without Blondaime.

"When are you leaving?" he didn't recognize his own voice.

"Today. I will just take some things I need and give out orders and then I leave," Arashi answered. "I'll return soon I promise," he added really not knowing why.

"Good luck," Naruto smiled and went to the room's door. At that moment his heart squeezed with the feeling…like it was a farewell and they would never see each other again.

"Naruto!" Arashi called and the blond boy turned around to find Yondaime with the same expression all over his face staring at him with hesitation.

"Be careful," his voice was full of emotion and Naruto himself didn't really understood what he felt at this moment. It just felt…overwhelming.

"You too," he said in a small voice and finally disappeared behind the door.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello everybody! Sorry, it took me really long to write this chapter – it was difficult to write. I wanna say great thank you to my beta-reader, Phillipa Engles, who inspired and helped me with this chapter! Thank you, reviewers, for you words of approvement and sometimes even threats for not writing more :)

The plot gap with Hiraishin-Shunshin is still a problem but I think I know the way to fit it in the story thanks to Phillipa :)

I hope you'll like this chapter where…well, I won't be spoilering, just read it! ;) And as usual I'm waiting for your reviews!

**Chapter 5. When everything goes wrong.**

Naruto arrived at Arashi's house late in the evening. He had walked along the streets, played with Konohomaru, he did everything not to go back to the house where nobody was.

"_It's foolish_," he thought approaching the door. "_I lived alone all my life. So why I don't like staying alone here?_"

He walked to the kitchen to get some milk, took it out, sat at the table, and suddenly noticed a small piece of paper lying nearby.

"_Naruto!_" it said.

_The supper is in the fridge, just warm it a little. Please don't destroy the house completely. Leave a poor old hokage like me at least a place where I can sleep, ok?_

_See you soon,_

_Blondaime._

Reading the last line Naruto, forgetting he was drinking milk, sighed and began to cough and laugh at the same time.

"He's crazy, now I'm sure," he concluded taking out the supper. Vegetables again, yeah?

It was another dish but it was also delicious.

"_How many dishes can he cook, I wonder?"_ Naruto thought finishing it.

He washed the plates and headed upstairs.

He had already made a step towards his room but stopped looking in the direction of Arashi's room.

"_Maybe_," an interesting thought came into his mind and he shook his head to get rid of it.

"_To examine his room more closely…that could be fun,"_ an internal voice suggested.

"It's not fair," Naruto hesitated.

"_But it's just checking_," internal voice offered. "_He closed his room, I swear!"_

Naruto came closer to Arashi's room's door and pushed it to assure it was closed. But it opened easily.

"It just can't be," Naruto whispered.

Blondaime…he couldn't trust him that much…or could he?

Hesitating like he was afraid somebody would attack, him he entered the room. It was cleaner than before. 'Flirting paradise' disappeared somewhere. Naruto took one of the scrolls that were lying near the bed, read it a little, and put it down quickly. Boring, it was one of Konoha's laws. Uzumaki turned around and came to the table with photos and couldn't help but stare.

The first one was much younger version of Kakashi-sensei and a boy he didn't know. Also there was a girl. Naruto wasn't sure but it seemed like he had seen her somewhere in Konoha. Yondaime, looking younger than he is now, was in this photo too. He was smiling widely. Naruto looked at the other photo and found more familiar faces. Ero-sennin had shorter hair than the last time he had seen him and less red paint on his face. He smiled with his usual wide smile while Yondaime, who looked even younger than he was in the previous photo, had an offended look as if Ero-sennin had told him one of his favorite jokes a second before. Naruto smiled and looked at the last photo. At that moment his heart stopped for a few seconds. It was a wedding photo. Yondaime wore a red-white suit similar to the hokage's robes in some ways but not completely. His bride was wearing a beautiful white dress. It suited her perfectly. As for their looks…smiles…they were the happiest pair in the world. Holding their hands tight they had expressions on their faces as if that day all their dreams came true.

"_What the hell happened?"_ Naruto thought examining her face attentively. "_Why did she die?_ _They were so happy together! Why should she die and leave him all alone?"_

He felt really sorry for Arashi. When Yondaime was talking about his wife Naruto saw for a moment the same expression he used to see in his mirror long ago. The feeling of being all alone in the world.

"_He looked so alone,"_ Naruto thought. "_If he keeps this pain in his heart…how can he live? How can he laugh and joke?"_

He stopped suddenly.

"_How could I do it? I felt the same loneliness and kept living, laughing, making friends only not to be alone. So he is the same. It's not…possible for us to be so much alike!_"

"When he returns," suddenly Naruto made a promise. "I'll do my best for him to not feel all alone. I'll be his friend." This promise made him feel better so Naruto just left Yondaime's room and went to sleep.

------------------------------------------------

Arashi was sitting near the tent looking at the stars. They were several days journey from the village where they were headed. Of course he could, and he wished to move faster, but the damned rules saying the hokage must have a delegation for the important talks didn't give him a chance.

"_I wonder, Naruto, how are you now?" _he thought. "_I hope Kakashi and ANBU will look after you_."

He sighed.

"I'm a bad father. I should be with him not hanging anywhere on these stupid missions. But…he's a shinobi too. One day he'll be sent on some mission and I won't be able to be with him. I wonder…could he be a good negotiator too? The mission at hidden moon showed he had a lot of potential in this field. If these talks weren't so official I would have taken him with me. Looks like we can't we rid ourselves of the talks, Naruto," he concluded to himself. "It's the part of our family."

------------------------------------------------

FLASHBACK

------

"Your last signature," one of the elders offered and Arashi made a quick mark on the papers.

"Finally!" hidden mist shinobies sitting nearby smiled. "After so many years of war…"

The elder mizukage – there were two of them just like in Konoha – smiled.

"Well, to establish partner relationship with hidden leaf I offered and Sarutobi-sama agreed that we should send two our best people on a mission together. To show our trust."

All in the room looked at each other in surprise.

"It's super A ranked mission," mizukage continued. "And we'll send hokage Arashi and mizukage Umi on it."

"Nani!" the blond and raven-haired girl shouted at the same time.

"It would be a good test for hidden leaf and hidden mist shinobies, will they be able to work together, isn't it?" elder mizukage added with smile.

The expressions on the young man and woman's faces were easy to read – they didn't like that idea.

Umi took the scroll and gestured to the exit. Arashi sighed and joined her.

At the doorstep she stopped looking at him attentively.

"You'll do everything I order you. No more your foolish moves or we fail the mission."

Arashi rolled his eyes.

"In your dreams," he answered. "Let me warn you, mizukage-sama. The only order I would listen to is Sarutobi-sama's and he's not here."

Her eyes flashed.

"Ok, hokage-sama," she pointed out. "You want it hard way you'll get it! One way or another you'll listen to my orders and obey them!" with these words she turned around and headed towards the port.

Arashi followed her.

"I don't like the way this mission's started," he muttered. "And I don't understand how such a beautiful lady can have such a bad temper!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The usually blue sky of Konoha was covered with dark clouds. Everything looked like it was going to rain. A few drops of water had already fallen onto the ground and everybody was moving at top speed to get home before the rain started.

Naruto was walking to Arashi's house holding ramen packages and milk.

"How many days have passed?" he wondered. It was less than a week but he has already felt lonely without Yondaime. Sitting there, in the house, sometimes everything looked like the hokage would enter at any minute, tell him a joke and everything would be ok. But it wasn't.

Yesterday Kakashi paid a visit and brought another vegetable bowl. Naruto tried to cook them the same way Arashi did but failed miserably. The so-called dish could be used only to poison somebody.

"_I'll ask him when he comes back_," Naruto thought taking another step. "_How he cooks them_."

But how, how in the world it could be? He, living alone for all his life now couldn't help but wait for the flashy person living under the same roof, and the list of things he wanted to ask Yondaime grew longer with every day.

Today he had a really awful dream. He dreamt that he woke up in his old house and found out Yondaime's resurrection never happened, and their fight with Orochimaru, the trip to the hidden moon, Arashi's house – everything was just a dream. Naruto woke in cold sweat, breathing heavily. Just when his legs stepped on the carpet he relaxed. He didn't have a carpet at his old house so he was at Arashi's house and everything was ok.

Naruto sighed. This feeling…the one he felt when saying goodbye to Yondaime concerned him a lot. What if it was the truth and the 4th hokage will be killed on this mission and they never meet each other again? He didn't even tell him…

"_Tell him what?"_ the internal voice asked.

Naruto shook his head trying to get rid of these thoughts.

"Where the hell are those keys?" he checked one pocket, then another one – nothing was there.

"Oh, here they are!" he finally found them in the third pocket and opening the door with one hand while holding ramen with the other he managed to enter the house. He sighed and moved his hand to close the door but suddenly stopped it in the middle of the process.

Two women coming closer to the house were walking and talking rather vividly and loud.

"That's the hokage-sama's house!" the first one said.

"It's big! It's really strange he lives here all alone," answered the second.

"Hush, it's a big secret," the first one whispered but Naruto standing near the door heard her every word. "Don't tell anybody. I heard… he was married and his wife…she was killed in the fight with Kyuubi…and you know…they say, she was pregnant."

"He lost both his wife and his child the same day," the other woman whispered in shock. "Poor thing…but I just don't get it, how, after all that he invites this kyuubi kid to live in his own house. After all, he did it! Yondaime is crazy!"

"Don't say it aloud!" the first one got scared. "Offending the hokage is a crime, come on, quicker, before anybody hears us!"

"Yes, you are right," the other one whispered. "Come on…" and quick steps disappeared at the end of the street.

Naruto just sat on the floor unable to move. Yondaime's hurt look while he was talking about his wife stood just before his eyes. Now it appeared to be that not only his wife, but his child was killed leaving him all alone, and the most frightening thought was that he, Naruto, was the cause of it!

Uzumaki got up and left the house to walk somewhere along the streets. He didn't really care where he was and where he was going. There weren't people in the streets – the rain was getting stronger with every minute and nobody wanted to be wet. Naruto didn't care. As long as the rain's drops falling on his cheeks hid his tears it felt good.

Yondaime…he remembered their talks…how angry he was at him, how many times he told him about his hate and the blond hokage didn't answer him back with any harsh words…with any word. He was patient, concerned, he cared for him…the kyuubi kid who killed the 4th's family! At that moment Naruto had completely forgotten he wasn't Kyuubi himself. The only thing stinging into his mind was "me…it was me…I killed his family," and he didn't have time to think how illogical it sounded. It was like that night when Midzuki-sensei told him the truth…no…it was 100 times worse!

So he did the only thing that seemed good for him at this moment – he ran faster and faster through the forest not even paying attention to his surroundings and not thinking about what happened to him next.

"Where did he go?" the ANBU sitting in the tree turned in panic to the other one who desperately tied to find the way Naruto had ran.

"I don't know!" he shouted. "He's moving too fast! No one in the world can move at such speed…except for our hokage!"

"We don't have him at the village now!" the ANBU continued to run. "I'll try to find Naruto, you report to Kakashi and Godaime immediately!"

"Hai!" the other one nodded and ran in the opposite direction.

---------------------------

Naruto kept running. His power started to leave him and his leg caught on a tree root. The speed did its bad thing – his left leg moved in some awkward way and he heard the sound of broken bone. Awful pain reflected in his body.

"Dammit!" Naruto tried to get up and failed miserably.

"It just couldn't be worse," he sighed giving up after a few useless tries. All that was left to do was to sit here and wait for somebody come and rescue him. But…he didn't want to return to Konoha…seeing Yondaime again after all that happened would be too much for him!

"Here he is!" Somebody shouted and Naruto growled preparing to meet shinobi from his village.

But at that moment he felt needle at his neck and then a strange sensation spread all over his body. Was it just him or did he really see a forehead protector before him…on the head of a man he didn't know.

"It's not Konoha's protector," Naruto was amused. That was his last thought before loosing conscious.

------------------------------

Kakashi ran to the clearing lead by his dogs. It took some time to find something in the forest – it was still raining and the dogs could smell almost nothing. His sharingan examined the clearing attentively. There weren't any signs of battle but something felt wrong and Kakashi trusted his feelings. Sitting down on the grass he found a sharp thing that looked like a needle.

"Naruto's trace ends here," his dog came by and said. "There were two or three shinobies. I can't smell them anymore…Looks like they performed some jutsu to clean the traces."

"Damn," Kakashi cursed taking the needle. "So that's all we have. You," he turned back to his dog. "Go find Arashi-sensei and bring him here as soon as possible."

"Got it, boss," dog saluted and disappeared in a moment.

"Found something?" Tsunade came to Kakshi concern radiating off her face.

He gave her a needle.

"If they wanted to kill him they could do it with just this," he confessed.

"But there's no reason for them to take away the body," Tsunade shrugged. "He's alive, I really hope."

"Alive and captured, and we don't even know where they took him and what they want," Kakashi concluded.

---------------------------------

For a moment Naruto felt he was awakening. The first thing he heard was two male voices, both unfamiliar to him.

"Our mission was to kill him not capture. Why the hell did you do it?" one of the voices asked.

"He's awakening again by the way," the other voice said. "He's too strong; soon we'll be out of medicine to keep him in this state."

Naruto felt a needle pressing to his skin and began to fall into darkness again.

"We have a few more hours now," the first man sighed. "So answer me, why?"

"Look at him attentively," the second one answered.

"And what?" the first one didn't understand. "Blond kid, claw marks…like we were told before, Kyuubi's container."

"Feel the flow of human chakra in him…then look at his face attentively," taller man said. "Then replace blond hair with black and remember this face…"

It took some time for the first man but finally he exhaled in surprise.

"So…the spoilers…it was the truth! They really had a child! But if he's her son then…" he stopped coming to some conclusion.

"Yes," the other one nodded. "Your thought is right. We were given an order to eliminate the Kyuubi kid to remove Konoha's military advantage. But if we had a chance to turn this advantage to our side…just think about it!"

"Yeah,' a harsh smile appeared on the first kidnapper's face. "I think HE will be pleased."


	7. Chapter 7

Hello everybody! It has been a long time…I have read all the reviews, it's wonderful that you love the story, thank you:)))Now I'm back and have some news – good and bad.:) The good one is that today I present two chapters not one and they are bigger than usual. They are not beta-read though so I'm sorry for grammar. I hope my beta-reader can repair the Internet in her house and can help me once more to get rid of mistakes. There is a big flashback in the chapters so those who don't like the flashbacks – you've been warned ;) The bad news (for you, not for me) that I'm going to Italy for a couple of weeks so I won't have Internet for some time. But I won't leave the story, when I return I'll continue writing (maybe it will be even better – new impressions and so on). So wish me luck on a journey ;) I'm waiting for your reviews and I really hope I didn't do these two chapters boring! Till the next time!

**Chapter 6. Chasing kidnappers**

"Arashi-sama, we can't move that fast," his companions complained.

The talks were finished with total success and Yondaime headed home. For the last few hours he had a strong feeling something was really wrong and he wanted to return to Konoha as soon as possible.

"Then you stay here," he turned back to the elders who accompanied him. "I should be in Konoha."

"Arashi-sama, it's really inappropriate actions for the hokage," his companions insisted. "You should have patience."

"_If you knew your child is in danger could you act that calm?"_ Arashi wanted to shout back but stopped.

"_I don't know anything. There is no reason to be rude."_

"Hokage-sama!" small ball appeared to be a dog jumped out of the darkness just in front of Arashi.

"What are you doing here?" Yondaime immediately recognized on of the Kakashi's summoned dogs. This dog was breathing heavily like it had been running for awhile. Arashi felt like his heart was pounding like a bell and his legs began to lose the connection with the ground. If Kakashi sent this dog it meant something happened. Something really bad.

"Naruto?" he didn't recognize his own voice. "What happened to Naruto?"

"He was kidnapped," the dog answered. "20 hours ago."

"20 hours!" everything screamed into Arashi's mind. He even didn't think that this dog ran for 20 hours to give him this news. Naruto…his son was kidnapped!

He breathed in and out trying to sort his feelings and concentrate his chakra. All thoughts were dissipating in his head.

"_Stop the hysterics_," he shouted to himself in his mind. Slowly he moved his hands into position.

"Arashi-sama!" one of the elders came to him. "What happened?"

Arashi didn't answer. He was out of time and at that moment he didn't think he had any words to say. He just concentrated all his chakra he had and disappeared from his place.

"Well," the dog turned to the elders. "Come on, I'll tell you the whole story."

--------------------------------------------

"Nothing again," the last ANBU reported to Kakashi who was sitting at the same part of the forest trying different jutsus.

"Our last hope is the intercepting team," Tsunade sighed. "It's not a big chance but if they came by the coast it would be more possible to detect them."

"He already should reach Arashi," Kakashi told her. "So he'll be back in a few hours."

Something looking like a little tornado appeared in front of them revealing Arashi. Yondaime looked tired and nervous. For Kakashi it looked like the night of fighting with Kyuubi came back. Arashi looked like the same as he was that night – the same desperate sight and calm determination to do anything for the sake of the ones he loved.

"Found anything?" he asked.

"Not much," Tsunade answered. "We went the intercepting team. As for the others…forest search gave no result."

"Search jutsu?" Arashi asked.

Kakashi shook his head.

"Nothing. They are too far to detect or…"

"No, he is alive," Arashi cut. "Naruto is the stubborn one. He won't die in such a stupid situation."

He moved his hands concentrating.

"Arashi, it's impossible," Tsunade stepped in. "Kakashi told you it's too far."

"I don't care!" Arashi shouted squeezing all the chakra he had.

Tsunade and Kakashi backed down. This moment the 4th almost looked like Naruto when he fought. When all the hopes have already disappeared and it was the time to give up he did impossible things.

"Just…a little… more," Arashi whispered his hands shaking but not loosing concentration.

Looking at him Tsunade remembered how many times Naruto stood the same way giving all he had to rescue someone.

"_I wonder…is it some special power your family has, Arashi,"_ she smiled watching as a thin line showing the success of jutsu is beginning to appear in front of them. "_Doing impossible things while protecting some person important to you..._"

Arashi dropped his hands finally seeing the thin thread appeared in front of him. Thread to Naruto.

"Now…" He prepared to disappear.

"Arashi," Tsunade called him. "You…your body…there are chakra burns all over it. If you use this jutsu more it could be dangerous. Let me heal it."

"We have no time, Tsunade," he answered and turned back.

"Looks like they caught him in some high level genjutsu, " Kakashi stepped in. "ANBU reported he just exited your house and ran to the forest. His speed…they said it was abnormal…it looked like he used your technique to increase it. They couldn't catch to him."

Arashi turned back half worried but a small smile appeared on his tired down face.

"So your theory…about blood limit…it could be the truth after all," he nodded.

"Like father like son," Kakshi nodded back stepping away from the path. "Good luck, sensei."

Arashi nodded again concentrating his chakra on his body. All the chakra he had, all he needed he must put it into saving Naruto.

Strange, but the only thing he could think about after moving from his place was the thought about his first mission with Umi.

"_If_ _I acted another way…could anything be ok now?_" he wondered. "_Naruto, could this story with Kyuubi never happened if I…_"

His thoughts drifted into the past while his body was moving along the search line towards his missing son.

------------------------------------------------

FLASHBACK

-----------------

"These ruins…they should be somewhere nearby," Arashi muttered rotating the map.

"You told me this two hours ago," Umi sighed in despair. "It was the mistake to let you lead the way. Face it – we got lost."

"Just stop complaining and let me concentrate," Arashi growled examining the map more attentively.

"Me? Complaining?" two angry blue eyes stared at him with such intensity that Yondaime felt he's blushing again. To his joy he finally spotted a few blocks looking like a part of the wall.

"You just look at that!" he smiled pointing at them. "Here are the ruins! We arrived just like I told you before!"

"You were lucky," Umi laughed.

"No, it just the skill of path finding, my dear mizukage," Arashi's smile became wider.

The last three words flew out of his mouth before he even understood what he had said.

Umi turned to him her face becoming pinker with every second as she was trying desperately to hide it.

"You say it one more time," she warned him. "And you will be the first victim of my newer jutsu, I swear!" and walked ahead faster.

Arashi flashed to reach her.

"Look…" he began. "I'm sorry. I didn't think really. We have just signed the peace agreement and I act like I'm trying to break it. I'm sorry."

"Just…forget it," Umi sighed looking at him. A hint of laughter partly with pain was in her eyes. "It's just…unusual for me. Mizukage is a high title in out village. This means that anybody who tries to offend me is a dead man. So…" she sighed again.

Arashi looked at her attentively finally understanding what she meant.

"Everybody is scared to tell you something wrong," he whispered. "That's awful."

Umi's look stopped somewhere at the ground in front of her legs.

"It's…not…that bad…sometimes," she said finally. "I wished to become mizukage for all my life. I knew what it meant. When you become mizukage you don't belong to yourself anymore. Your friends, family…Everything doesn't matter for you. You have only one purpose – to protect your people, your village. If your life is the price for the future of your village you must pay it. Do you get it?"

He understood. He couldn't find the words to express his feelings but she told the right thing. And wrong thing at the same time.

"But my friends…" Umi continued and her voice cracked. "I didn't think that when I become mizukage they turn away…become just strangers. Foolish wish for mizukage, doesn't it? To have normal life…not to feel so…"

"Lone," Arashi continued for he and Umi shuddered. The look in his eyes…he understood her completely like he felt the same. How could it be?

Now he understood this girl. He heard that the hidden mist was the village of strict laws but death sentence for a wrong word…it was terrible. She got accustomed that everyone did everything she said and then he appeared completely different breaking all the rules. Arashi felt sorry for her. Such a beautiful girl…she really shouldn't live in such a cruel world. Hidden leaf would be more comfortable for her. But he wasn't the one to decide.

"Hey, quit daydreaming, we've got a lot of things to do," the moment of confession ended up and the strict cold emotionless mask of mizukage-sama was in front of him again.

Arashi shook his head to get rid of these thoughts and moved after her.

------------

"We are almost here," Umi's voice broke the silence that lasted for the several minutes.

"What kind of monster lives here?" Arashi asked.

Umi shrugged.

"I don't know. The survivors say it's really huge creature."

Arashi frowned.

"Are you scared?" Umi looked at him.

He shook his head.

"No, just thinking. Monster living at the ruins of the village – this story makes no sense. It attacks only those who come too close to this place. There must be somebody who summons it. So maybe monster isn't our aim… "

The roar resounding all over the forest broke his thought in the middle. A figure of huge beast appeared near the remains of the gate.

Arashi exhaled in shock. It was really huge! It looked like a big white dog with five tails. Its teeth were big enough to replace the wall around the village and the eyes were blazing with insane dark flame. Yondaime tried to think about jutsus that could destroy such a monster and found it really difficult to concentrate. Fear came too close to his heart for Arashi's comfort.

"_I'm …scared,"_ he thought. "_That's something new for Konoha's Hokage. Shame on me!_"

This thought caused him to laugh a little. Fear disappeared and he put his hands in the familiar position.

"Stay away!" he shouted to Umi who froze in her tracks just like him unable to move.

His words awakened her.

"Hell no!" she shouted back and rushed to the monster.

"Damn it," Arashi cursed and ran to the place where monster stood.

"Raizou ikazuchi wo utte!" his companion started already familiar for him attack. The lightning stroke the monster causing no damage at all – it turned around looking at Umi in surprise like at some little animal trying to bite it.

"Step back!" Arashi shouted seeing the monster turning around his tail trying to catch them in the midair.

It missed.

Yondaime didn't give it a chance for the next attack – he stood on his feet shouting.

"Katon, Karyuu Endan!"

One little flame reached the monster and it roared with surprise. Moment later – and tons of water poured somewhere from the air turning Arashi's attack into nothing.

He found himself ten meters farther coughing and wet trying to get up.

Umi completely wet just like him had already standing nearby.

"That was…"Arashi caughed. "Unexpected."

"We'd better think up the plan quickly," Umi wiped her face. "Otherwise it will be the first and the last joint mission for the mist and the leaf."

The monster roared and ran to them.

"Kiri no junsai! (mist shield)" Umi shouted moving her hands in some special way in front of her. The monster stopped for a moment - a wall half of water and mist stood on its way.

"Away, quicker!" young mizukage pushed Arashi from the way of the monster and jumped after him. She did it just in time – flame surrounded the water wall and it disappeared in a second.

"Wha…!" Yondaime stared in shock at the scene. "It uses both water and flame techniques? It's impossible!"

"Well…" Umi laughed sarcastically. "You are very observant."

Arashi growled. This girl…when they finish with this monster they'll have a serious talk, - he promised to himself and ran to the monster again.

Yes, maybe this creature was huge and dangerous, but he had the thing it hadn't – his speed.

Arashi flashed behind him trying to use his katon technique again but failed – the monster blocked it.

"_I should use rasengan,_" Yondaime thought making another try. "_But I can't get so close to him, that's the problem._"

Umi watched the fight in awe. This hokage was very fast. She didn't see such a quick shinobi in her life. But the monster moved very well itself. Too good to be just a simple monster. It almost looked like…

Arashi turned around just in time to avoid the attack of the monster again. He jumped five meters farther to get some space. Monster roared and ran to him again.

"_I need to call Gamabunta_," Arashi thought moving his hands into position and stopped.

"Arashi!" Umi shouted and he turned around completely forgetting about the monster running to him at top speeds.

"She called me by name!" something in his soul began to sing.

"You baka, don't daydream!" the next phrase put him from the heaven to the ground. "Just try to distract him! I think I know what to do!"

Arashi nodded becoming himself and ran to the monster again.

"_Distract it…distract it…how in the world I'd do it?"_ strange thought came into his mind. He didn't know what to do so he just ran closer shouting.

"Hey, doggy-doggy, come here, just…come!" and ran to the other side.

The monster stopped for a moment examining attentively a strange figure shouting random things and then roared again and moved its tails in some special way that the ground under Arashi's legs began shaking.

"It…was a bad...idea," Arashi jumped avoiding the big hairy clutch.

"Thank you," another figure appeared just in front of him and Yondaime stopped in shock. It was Umi coming at such a close distance to the monster that it looked like a suicide.

Her hand burned with strange dark blue flame and then she shouted.

"Goguoufuuin!" and touched the skin of the monster. A bright flash blinded Arashi for a moment and then he saw the monster stepping back.

"It should work," Umi sighed with visible relief.

"Wha…?" Arashi began again feeling himself like a student who has just failed the exam. "What happened?"

Umi turned to him.

"The way the monster fought. Fighting you he moved like a shinobi not animal. So I assumed," she moved a hand to the dog creature's direction and Arashi stared there in surprise.

There wasn't a monster anymore – it was a man with partly gray hair thin like a skeleton. He was breathing heavily, Umi's seal still burning visible on his body.

"He's not a monster…" Arashi shook his head. "A man…how in the world it could be?"

"I…can explain," the monster-man looked at him with sad sight and tried to catch his breath and get up. "You, my saviors deserve it. Have you ever heard about sealed beasts?"

Arashi and Umi looked at each others.

"Never," they answered at the same time.

The man nodded.

"It's not unexpected. This legend is that old that I doubt somebody in the world still remembers it. Maybe that's your luck you've found the last remembrance of it. Come on, I'll tell you." He finally stood up and moved to the remains of the village.

Umi followed him.

"Wait," Arashi caught her hand surprising himself by his courage. "It can be a trap."

She shook her head.

"There is no trap."

"I don't like it," Yondaime confessed.

"But it's our mission," she reminded him.

"You are right," he nodded and finally made the first step. "But I still don't like it."

They walked closer and closer to the gates. Arashi felt a shiver walking somewhere along his spine. Umi didn't look scared – she looked silent and calm but Yondaime knew – she could hide her feelings as far as she wished to.

Neither he nor she noticed a dark shadow stepping from the tree and following them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7. The scroll with burnt pages**

They passed the remains of the wall and Arashi wondered.

"What village it was?"

Strange man-monster turned to him with unreadable expression on his face.

"It was destroyed long time ago. So it doesn't have name now. Its name doesn't matter anymore."

Umi shot Arashi a warning look – don't push him – and blond Hokage decided to obey for this time.

They walked around broken shops, trees and Arashi kept wondering – what kind of disaster should happened to destroy this beautiful place – it was beautiful, he believed. Finally they stopped near the remains of the small house. It didn't look like the place worth to live but at least it had the roof unlike to the other buildings with only walls and remains of windows.

"You look terrible," Umi turned to their companion. "Let me help you. Let's have a rest for a little."

It was the truth – the man was out of breath and looked older thah he was only several minutes ago.

"That's ok," he stopped her. "It doesn't matter – I'll die anyway. The source that kept me alive for that long – Gobi – is now gone, as for my chakra… it's too weak. It won't keep me in this world for long."

"That's horrible!" Umi exhaled. "I'll remove the seal immediately, let me…"

He caught her hands in the middle of jutsu.

"Don't. Please," he pleaded. "I want to die. I don't want to be a monster anymore."

Umi dropped her hands looking at him and Arashi in despair.

"What I have done," was read in her look.

Yondaime cleared the throat.

"Why this monster was kept in you?" he asked. "Why did you attack people? What was the purpose?"

Old man's look was somewhere far beyond the horizon and when he began to speak Arashi almost didn't hear him.

"It happened many years ago…There was a very strong shinobi's village. Not the best maybe but one of the best. Here lived good people. Strong, brave, true warriors. The village prospered but one day their neighbors decided they don't have enough place to live and started the war. It was cruel ages. Many people died but none of the sides couldn't win. So the elders and best shinobies gathered and found the way to become stronger. They created the jutsu to summon demon beast with such a strong chakra that could crush the mountains and create lakes."

"But summoning demon isn't enough," Umi whispered. "To use this chakra one must control it!"

"You are right," the man nodded. "They found the way to seal the demon into human's body so the human container could control it."

"Controlling such a crazy chakra," Arashi whispered. "It's impossible!"

"That's difficult but not impossible," the man turned to him. "If you put it into new burn baby who will grow with this thing inside he will get used to it."

"That's cruel," Umi shook her head. "Those who created this jutsu were monsters themselves. To do this with a child not giving him the right to choose."

"There was a war," the man reminded her. "They just wanted their village to survive. Didn't you the same to your village?"

"I…"Umi stopped. "I don't know…" she trailed.

"The most crucial part," the man continued. "Was when the child grows up enough to use the full power of the beast. If the child uses its chakra in improper way or his own chakra is too weak then the monster can overpower him and take the control. So the child becomes a monster himself."

"That happened to you," now Arashi understood. "You…you destroyed your own village!"

The man lowered his head.

"Every man…every woman…nobody survived that night," he whispered.

Umi's face became pale as moon.

"That wasn't you," she touched his hand. "It was Gobi, do you hear me?"

"I was too weak," the man sighed.

Remembrances brought him a lot of pain. Arashi saw it but couldn't find the proper words to comfort him. This story…was too horrible to accept.

"When the chief of the village understood what happened it was too late," the man continued his tale. "He performed some jutsu that imprisoned me at this place. I…killed him but the jutsu's effect didn't disappear. I couldn't get out of here…living for years unable to die thanks to this damned chakra."

"What can we do for you?" Arashi couldn't recognize his own voice – so uncertain and shocked it sounded.

The man stood up, went to the remains of the house and gave him a big scroll. It was burnt in several places and looked like very old thing.

"Please keep it," he pleaded. "Or destroy it. Do anything you like but don't let it fall into wrong hands. It will be the end for this world if it happens. It contains both the jutsus for summoning the monster and sealing it into human's body."

"We can't take it," Umi's voice sounded scared. "It's too dangerous! We must destroy it!"

"But if there is somebody more with monster inside?' Arashi looked at her and took the scroll. "If somebody tries to create and perform this jutsu again we must have the key for fighting it! And of course we must make sure this scroll won't be in wrong hands after all. Ever."

"It's the lethal weapon, blond shinobi," the man warned. "Here, in your hands you hold the key to save the world or to destroy it!"

"I understand," Arashi's look became gravely serious so unlike to him. "I promise I'll protect it with my life!"

"That's good, I trust you," the man smiled sadly. "Now, please, go. I don't have much time left and I want to die here, where my house was, alone. Farewell and thank you for saving me!"

Arashi and Umi nodded unable to answer him. No one couldn't find the words to say to the dying man who did so much evil in his life…and was so not guilty at the same time. So they just walked away both silent tears kept hidden somewhere in their eyes.

-------------------------------------------------------

"What shall we do with the scroll?" Umi asked when they got out of the destroyed village.

"I'd kept it behind the bunch of strong protecting jutsus," Arashi said. "We don't need the risk."

"But what about the village where you are going to keep it?" Umi asked turning to him. "Mist of leaf?"

Arashi sighed. It was really difficult question.

"Look," he turned to her. "I don't know if even the elders should know about this scroll. Mizukage and hokage are the only men we can trust that's what I think. But still there is a chance that they would like to use it for their purpose."

"I don't like the idea of keeping the scroll," Umi said again. "To destroy it would be the best. Still I have a feeling…" she trailed.

"What feeling?" Arashi turned around to face her.

Umi's eyes narrowed and at the same moment she shouted.

"Suiton: Suishoha!" and a huge wave raised its edge right above Arashi's head.

"Wha?" Yondaime exhaled. "What of the sudden? His companion decided to kill him? Was it all about the scroll? It just couldn't be!"

But as he kept thinking the wave passed along him and rushed to the nearest tree knocking a figure hidden on the branch.

"I have a feeling I've been watched," Umi finally finished the sentence.

Arashi in an instance understanding the situation flashed to their knocked down opponent and pushed him to the ground not giving him a chance to attack.

"Easier, blondy boy," somebody very familiar to him growled just under his hands.

"Orochimaru?" Arashi choked out tightening his grip.

"The one and only," dark haired shinobi laughed.

"Do you know this jerk?" Umi asked watching ths scene attentively.

"Of course," Arashi squeezed his opponent's hands making him to get up. "He was one of the Sannin once but now he is a criminal."

"What has he done?" Umi wondered.

"Oh, nothing special, young lady," Orochimaru smiled showing his snake tongue and Umi shuddered. "Just happened to be at the wrong time at the wrong place."

"He conducted forbidden experiments that endangered people's lives," Arashi explained replacing his grip with the tight rope. "Was caught and ran away. So we'll do a good job if we convoy him to the hidden leaf's prison."

"Why did you follow us?" Umi asked Orochimaru with suspicion. "What were you doing?"

"What are you talking about?" Snake master looked surprised.

"Don't play fool," Arashi growled. "I know you too well. What are your intentions?"

"My intentions?" Orochimaru laughed. "Funny boy, even becoming hokage you stayed the same idiot you have always been! Futon: Daitoppa! (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)" and world around Arashi exploded. Yondaime had to back out quickly to avoid the main damage.

"You!" he shouted getting up and desperately trying to catch him but all he saw was a figure running away.

"Arashi, scroll!" he heard Umi's shout of horror and his eyes widened as he realized what happened. Oroshimaru, this bastard, stole it!

"So he heard the whole story of the monster man," Yondaime realized as his hands already performed two jutsus almost at the same time – searching and body flicker. At the next moment he disappeared too.

"I was right after all," Umi sighed saying to nobody. "This scroll will bring us only problems. Mizu-Shunshin! (Water Body Flicker)" she concentrated her chakra and quickly followed them.

Yondaime's heart was racing.

"_What a fool I was_," he cursed while he was getting closer to Orochimaru. "_It was the first thing I should think about, that he was there to get the scroll but I didn't. Umi was right, four thousand times right. This thing is too dangerous to keep._"

He finally saw Orochimaru standing at the large mountain near the sea holding the scroll with his hands and smiling with his awful smile.

Arashi thought for a moment and then shouted with all power of his lungs gathering chakra in his body.

"Katon, Karyuu Endan!" and the scroll began to burn. Orochimaru's smile turned into mask of pain.

"Fool!" he shouted fighting with flame. "Don't you understand what you are doing? It's ultimate weapon! Probably it's the most powerful jutsu in the world!"

Arashi didn't answer – he was too busy with his next move. He jumped on Orochimaru causing the snake master to drop the scroll.

"I've caught it!" Umi's triumphing shout resounded along the mountains as she got hold on the scroll.

"I'll kill you!" Orochimaru growled and rushed to her throwing Arashi away like he was just a little insect.

"Suirou no Jutsu!" Umi shouted raising her hand and a great wave raised from the sea surrounding all around. The water gathered around Orochimaru causing him to stop.

"Seneitajashu!" he turned around and a thousand of snakes rushed to Umi. Arashi flashed on their way.

"Katon eiki toku!" Arashi growled and a huge wall of flames stood up on the way of Orochimaru's snakes stopping them.

The snake master himself looked awful. His hand was badly burnt, his clothes were wet, and his eyes flashed with crazy light.

"Give me the scroll!" he shouted throwing another bunch of snakes to Arashi and Umi causing them to step back closer to one another.

"Don't give him the scroll," Arashi whispered trying to catch his breath. "At all costs!" and then concentrated the remains of his chakra around his body turning into the figure of light. Then he rushed to Orochimaru.

Umi couldn't believe with her eyes. No one, even shinobi couldn't move at such speeds! She couldn't match it even with her sight leave alone to counter attack. But Orochimaru dodged somehow.

"Lightning body," he laughed. "Your favorite technique. You think you're indestructible with that, aren't you? Sorry to disappoint you but my snakes are much faster! Seneitajashu!" Arashi crushed one snake then another but there were too much of them! He couldn't react, he had used a lot of his chakra in his fight with monster-man!

Feeling the uncertainty Orochimaru laughed.

"You are thousand years younger to fight me, blondy!" he stood up preparing the next strike. "Sarutobi-sensei made a great to promote such a weakling to the Hokage!"

"Maybe," somebody's grave voice caused both Arashi and Orochimaru to shudder. "But he's not fighting alone!"

Arashi turned around and saw Umi, silver blue chakra all around her body became visible. She was making some quick hand moves he couldn't match with. A second later he felt he's beginning to freeze. A wave of water passed along him to Orochimaru in an instant freezing and catching the snake master into the ice.

"You will pay for that," his lips whispered as he turned into an ice statue.

"I'm so scared," Umi laughed coming to Arashi. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, thanks to you," Arashi smiled. "But this jutsu…such a crazy chakra. I haven't seen any shinobi doing this trick in my life!"

"It's my new jutsu," Umi blushed coming closer to the frozen man. "Nobody has seen it before. Did you like it?"

"It's magnificent," Arashi answered honestly.

Busy with their talk they forgot about Orochimaru for a moment. Arashi heard a sound of cracking ice but it was too late. It exploded into thousand of pieces showing Orochimaru completely unaffected.

"The scroll!" Arashi thoughts raced as he rushed to the criminal holding the scroll and smiling.

Seeing this Umi made a quick move with her hand and a wave catching snake master's body pushed it from the mountain. But something went wrong - at the middle of jutsu Arashi almost felt that Mizukage lost the control of her chakra and the wave took her away too.

"No!" Arashi's heart stopped for a moment. What he had to do now? From the one side he had to take the scroll from Orochimaru at all costs and from the other he couldn't let Umi die!

"Grrr.." he gathered all his chakra left giving it into speed - the one and only weapon he had at that time.

The time divided into small moments.

First move – and Orochimaru falls down the mountain, the end of the scroll in his hand. Arashi caught the other side and at the same moment it broke into two pieces. One of them stayed in Arashi's hand while the other one turned to be in Orochimaru's hands.

Second move – and the scroll into snake master's hands exploded and began to burn with yellow flame. Arashi smiled – his opponent's face expression was priceless. Orochimaru continued falling while Yondaime made the last one and the most important move – he jumped from the cliff catching Umi with his one hand and holding the rope with the other.

"Huph," Arashi sighed. "What a fight."

Umie's eyes opened and she saw hokage's face close to hers.

"Did you win?" she sked.

"Of course," Arashi laughed. "I always win. It can't be another way. How are you?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "Looks like I should work on this jutsu – it eats too much of chakra. I even can't create a clone now."

"Everything will be o…" Arashi began and then the stone holding the rope fell down the closs and they continued falling.

Umi caught one stone and continued hanging breathing heavily.

"Hold on!" Arashi shouted a few meters higher. "I'll give you a hand!"

"It's too dangerous!" she shouted back to him. "You don't have much chakra left either! If you fall you will die!"

"I won't let you die!" Arashi breathed out trying to reach her. "Hold the hand, quicker, come on!"

Something in his eyes caused Umi to obey. What was it? Power, the will to help, friendship? Something that made him different from everybody she met before. She couldn't describe it but when she looked in these eyes she felt like there was no thing in the world she couldn't do.

So she just gave him her hand and he caught it.

"Alright," he made himself smile. "Come on, easier, one more step and…"

Ten minutes later they fell on the top of the cliff tired but alive.

"We did it," Arashi sighed turning on his back and looking at the sky. It felt good – like he hadn't breathed such a wonderful air in his life.

"You knew it, didn't you?" Umi's voice sounded gravely.

He got up looking at her, her face terribly serious like something wrong happened – something he didn't know.

"Know about what?" he asked hesitating.

"You saved my life," Umi sat hugging her legs. "Our family always had traditions about it. If somebody saves your life then you owe him for the rest of your life. My life is your life now, my village is your village, my friends are you friends, my home is your home. Did you know it?"

"No," Arashi shook his head. "I think you take it too serious. I just helped you, that's all."

"You didn't know," Umi concluded in disbelief and chuckled. "You are such a baka, you didn't know what you were doing."

"I know only one thing," Arashi turned to her. "I couldn't let you to die because…"

He didn't finish blushing completely. Then he looked at the scroll and quickly changed the topic.

"Looks like we have only a half of it. It's better than nothing but we'll never know what the other half was about."

"It's not in the hands of this jerk," Umi answered. "That's the main thing, the other is unimportant."

"What do you think, the explosion killed him?" Arashi asked looking down the cliff. There was only the sea.

Umi shrugged.

"I don't know. He's a good shinobi, maybe we'll hear about him soon."

"I really hope you are wrong," Arashi sighed turning to her. "The mission is over, come on?"  
"Some on," Umi smiled.

Blond hokage made a step without looking under his feet, stepped between two stones and then he fell with a loud thump.

"Arashi!" Umi rushed to him.

"I'm ok, ok," he assured her. "Just tired a little." He tried to get up and found it a problem – he tried to grab the scroll but a growl of pain falling down his lips made him stop "Ow!"

Umi caught his hand causing another cry of pain and examined it attentively.

"Looks like you broke it," she finally concluded.

"Broke! It just can't be!" Arashi growled.

"Being uninjured during such a furious battle and breaking your arm in such an innocent situation. Looks like it's you talent," Umi chuckled. "Come on, let's return to the hidden mist. I have some medicine that will help you, baka."

"Ok," Arashi gave up. "And Umi…"

"What?" she turned to him.

"Stop calling me that!" he growled again.

Her smile was wide and shining.

"I'll stop calling you that when you stop acting like you're a baka," she answered.

Arashi looked at the sky, sighed desperately and followed her.

----------------------END OF THE FLASHBACK

"We are almost at the place," one of the shinobies told his companion. "How is he?"

"Still unconscious," the second answered.

"That's good," the first one nodded. "We have enough problems with these leaf ninjas."

"They are strong but it's still not enough to catch us," the second one laughed.

"Wait…something is wrong…" the first one lifted kunai as something looking like a yellow flash rushed behind him. Finally it stopped revealing very angry hokage. Yellow chakra was running all around his body and he looked like a statue of light not a human being.

"I offer you to give me Naruto and surrender immediately," he exhailed. "Otherwise I'll kill you in a second."

"Try, blond hokage," the first shinobi smiled holding the kunai tighter.

Arashi's eyes turned into blood lust ones.

"That's the answer I wanted to hear," he smiled cruelly and rushed to them.


	9. Chapter 9

Hello, everybody! Looks like eternity passed since the last time I updated. I'm terribly sorry! My vacation was longer than I expected (my journey was really pleasant, I liked Italy a lot:) ) after that was my birthday…I hope you didn't give up waiting! My greatest thanks to my beta-reader, Phillipa Engles, who did excellent work and corrected all the errors. Thank you again:)

As usual I'm waiting for your reviews and I hope you'll like the 8th chapter!

**Chapter 8. The house at the seashore.**

He awakened at the feeling of tree branch coming close to his face and exhaled in pain. His body felt like he had gone through hell and everything around him was in thick fog. He couldn't understand if it was day or night. He tried to move his legs and found it completely impossible to do – at least one of them didn't obey him at all.

"_It is broken_," sudden thought came into his mind, revealing more painful memories about the day before. He bit his lip to suppress cry.

"Take it easy," somebody's familiar voice advised him.

"_Who is that?" _Naruto wondered and then his eyes opened wider as he realized.

"Yondaime!" he exclaimed partly in relief and partly in horror.

"Don't shout!" Arashi asked. "I dealt with your kidnappers but I'm not sure if there are more in this forest."

Naruto looked around and understood two more things – they were moving at high speed and the 4th held him in his hands. Everything around him was still in fog.

Naruto shook his head trying to get rid of this feeling.

"They gave you some medicine to keep you unconscious," Arashi explained feeling uneasiness in Naruto's moves. "I don't know what exactly it is but it affected your regeneration – your leg hasn't healed yet and it doesn't look like it's going to heal soon though, so I put the bones back in their place."

"Where…are we going?" Naruto asked in small voice – he felt like his strength was leaving him at frightening speed.

"I have a friend nearby who can help you," Arashi answered. "Konoha is much farther so it's our only choice."

Naruto bit his lips tighter. Here, Yondaime tried to help him even though he knew the truth. He couldn't handle this anymore.

"Leave me," he asked trying not to cry again.

"What?" Arashi stopped in his tracks in surprise. "Naruto are you all right? Do you recognize me? It's me, Arashi, Yondaime hokage!"

"I…get it…"Naruto slipped out of Arashi's hands, tried to take a step and when he realized he couldn't do it, he caught the nearest tree's branch to keep himself on his feet and – most important – to not look in Yondaime's eyes.

Arashi stood right behind him with uncertain look on his face, not knowing what he should do – should he leave him alone and let him explain or use some jutsu and put Naruto to sleep again just to not see the horrible pain on his face.

They stood in silence for some time and it felt like an eternity for Arashi and then Naruto continued.

"I…don't deserve it."

Arashi's eyes widened.

"What did they tell you?" he asked trying to understand and finally when no answer came to him, said gathering the remains of his calmness into his voice.

"Naruto, answer me."

The blond boy turned around and Arashi was shocked – he was crying.

He couldn't believe it. His son didn't cry when he stood face to face with shinobis of hidden moon in a battle he couldn't win. He didn't look frightened when the ceiling fell right onto their heads. He just moved dumbly to save Sakura when they didn't know if she was alive or dead and there wasn't a single tear in his eyes. And now he was crying. Why?

Naruto just stood and looked somewhere far away tear after tear falling from his eyes.

"This is abnormal," Arashi shook his head. "They must have given you something that affected your mind. "Naruto, listen to me. Inhale deeply and try to relax. Everything is ok now."

"I just don't get it," everything looked like Naruto didn't listen to a word Arashi had said. "How can you do anything to me after all that?"

Arashi's heart stopped for a moment.

"Naruto," he began.

"How could you protect me, give me a place to live under your roof when you knew everything? To me, kyuubi kid who destroyed your family," he stopped for a moment gathering the strength to continue, to tell Arashi the painful truth, the face of the 4th when he was talking about his wife, still standing before his eyes. "To kyuubi kid who killed your wife and son?"

Arashi felt like he's boiling inside. How unhearted these men must be to tell that lie to the boy! Making him believe in such foolish words. It looked like that all he did to them was too soft. Arashi had a feeling he must return and turn these ninjas into dust. All that stopped him now was a crying boy standing just in front of him.

Arashi's heart squeezed. Now Naruto didn't look like a brave shinobi ready to chase into battle without any second thoughts. He just looked like a little boy who was frightened and didn't know what to do.

Arashi came closer his heart pounding in his chest like a huge bell. He didn't know what to say..no..it wasn't the truth…actually he knew what to say but didn't know how.

"There is enough shock for him already," a sudden thought came into his mind. "I can't…"

So he just came closer and sat near the tree looking at Naruto attentively.

The boy turned his eyes from him at the same moment.

"You know that it's not the truth," Arashi said in calm stern voice but soft at the same time. "You are not kyuubi. You have nothing in common with the monster that almost destroyed out village. You were the one who saved all of us."

Arashi closed his eyes and confessed.

"I was weak after all. I couldn't handle it with myself so I needed your help badly. You were the true hero, not me. You controlled Kyuubi all these years not letting him do awful things. You helped me and I'll help you with all I can. Forever."

"But your family…"Naruto began his voice slowly turning into his old one. "Your wife."

"She died fighting with kyuubi," Arashi nodded. "It is the truth but I'll repeat it until you understand – you have nothing in common with this creature. You are Uzumaki Naruto. You are…"

Naruto's eyes stared at him for a moment and then the blond boy felt like the remains of strengths leave him completely and began to fall.

Arashi was quick – he caught him his nose in several centimeters from the ground.

"You have a fever," he concluded not really sure who was shaking more - him or Naruto. "Try to sleep a little. You'll feel better."

"Blondaime," Naruto whispered his eyes closing.

"What?" Arashi smiled at his nickname coming out of his son's mouth.

"Thank you," the boy whispered again and fell asleep.

Arashi bit his lip trying not to cry himself.

"I won't let anybody hurt you anymore, Naruto," he whispered pulling the sleeping boy closer. "Maybe I don't have as much power as Umi had but I'll protect you till the last breath as she did, **_son_**." The last word fell soundlessly from his lips and then he got up and continued moving through the night.

----------------------------

"You wanted me to see something, Kakashi?" Tsunade asked as she stepped on the grass of the clearing. "Hm, that's impressing," she gazed with amusement at two shinobies tied tightly to the tree. Both were beaten badly and were unconscious but definitely alive.

"Looks like Arashi found them after all," she nodded noticing burn marks on their hands.

"But they haven't returned to Konoha with Naruto. Why?" she wondered.

"He says he knows the answer," Kakashi turned to her holding a small frog.

"Blond hokage asked to tell you that he's gonna take Naruto to a friend of his," the frog said.

"Is Naruto alright?" Tsunade asked.

"He was unconscious," the frog answered. "That's all he asked me to tell you. Can I have a snack now?"

Tsunade's face expression turned into worried one.

"It was really serious," she concluded. "Otherwise he would never be in search of help from outsiders."

"What shall we do now?" Kakashi asked. "I shall continue searching then."

"No," Tsunade turned around. "The mission has ended here. We all return to Konoha."

"What?" Kakashi stared at her. "But Arashi-sensei and Naruto are in danger! We can't!"

"Kakashi," Tsunade turned to him. "He's hokage. Trust him. As for me, we can't move further – a few miles ahead the territory of hidden mist begins. And if we move farther…"

"It will mean the beginning of war," Kakashi continued for her. "Hey, everybody! We cut the operation and return to Konoha!" he shouted to the others.

Tsunade headed the procession while the white-haired shinobi stopped for a moment and turned back to the dark forest where his ex-teacher was.

"I hope everything will be alright, sensei," he whispered and then turned back to join the others.

------------------------

First rays of light began to touch the ground when Arashi finally stopped near a little house at the seashore.

This place was protected from the eyes of outsiders by hills so it was rather difficult for him to reach the point but he couldn't stop.

He hesitated for a moment before knocking an old wooden door that looked like it wasn't old – it was ancient – but then forced his hand to do it. He needed a poison specialist at that moment and here lived the best one he knew. Naruto didn't feel any better and the fever became even worse and Yondaime really was afraid for his life.

"Nami!" the 4th called in a small voice and continued knocking. "Please open the door!"

Everything could change in such a long time, he understood that but also he had a feeling that the person who lived here when he was here the last time was still in this house.

"Please open the door!" he asked.

"Right here!" he heard a familiar voice just behind his back and turned around only to receive a solid punch in his face. He was too tired to feel the motion of chakra and block it.

"Nice to see you again, Nami," he joked trying to catch his breath. Finally he did and straightened, looking at the red-haired woman with dark green eyes. She didn't look either old nor young – it looked like her age froze somewhere between those two points and wasn't going to move to any side." She wore a simple green dress and her long hair was put into a braid.

She wore an expression of disgust while looking at Arashi almost like she had just seen some awful creature.

"I have sworn to myself, Arashi," she said in cold voice. "At the moment I learnt that you had been resurrected…I have sworn to myself I'll kill you when I see you the next time!"

"Nami," Arashi raised his right hand trying to make the situation easier.

"It's all your fault, Uzumaki!" she shouted not leaving him a chance to put in a word.

At that moment Naruto made himself comfortable in Arashi's hands and whispered something like 'Sakura, it wasn't me. I haven't eaten your lunch, believe it!', and continued sleeping.

Arashi exhaled, visibly relaxing – but the last thing he needed at that moment was Naruto learning the truth about his parentage in such a foolish way.

"Nami," he continued trying. "You can kill me, you can do anything you want, I won't raise a finger to defend myself but I beg you, first of all help Naruto!"

"Naruto?" her red eyebrows raised in surprise. "You have come all this way to ask me to help some kid? And you think I'll help you after all you did?"

She wanted to add more but her look gaze onto Naruto's face and she stopped in shock.

"It just can't be," her gaze stopped at the face of the blond haired boy laying helplessly on Arashi's shoulder. "Is he…"

"Yes," Arashi whispered. "He's her son."

The red haired woman hesitantly reached her hand to touch Naruto's face almost like she wanted to make herself believe in the reality of all that was happening. The boy squeezed his nose in his sleep and she smiled.

At the same moment Arashi received another punch to his face.

"That's for not telling me the truth," Nami concluded.

Arashi rubbed his check. The would be a bruise there for a long time, he realized unhappily. But if she could help Naruto he would have gone through even more painful experiences.

Nami opened the door and let Arashi with Naruto in his hands, come in.

There was a small but rather bright room.

"Lay him here," Nami gestured to the bed at the opposite corner. "What happened?"

"One of the poisons of hidden mist," Arashi explained. "The one that keeps a person unconscious. I have the sample," he gave her one of the needles he found while interrogating the kidnappers.

"Good," Nami took the needle and started examining it.

"It did something with his regeneration," Arashi continued hesitation in his voice. "You know he has an improved regeneration thanks to kyuubi…"

"Kyuubi?" she turned around while making some medicine. "So he's the infamous kyuubi kid who stopped Shuukaku of the sand? You put that monster into your own child. That's priceless. What else don't I know?" her voice was full of irony.

"He doesn't know who his parents are," Arashi said, attentively examining the burns on his hands and doing his best not to look at Nami.

"Oh," she turned around to him with expression of angriness turning into pity. "What a mess you have done, do you understand that Arashi?"

"I do," the blond hokage sighed. "Will you help him?"

"Of course," she smiled, a bottle with blue liquid in her hand. "I'll give it to him and everything will be alright." She turned to Naruto and quickly put the needle under his skin.

"Thank you," Arashi nodded.

"I can't do anything else," she turned around. "Umi would kill me if she knew that I wouldn't help her son."

Naruto's breathing became deeper and Arashi touched his son's forehead felt like the fever was fading away. Yondaime sighed with relief.

Nami watched the scene with unhidden interest.

"Looks like you have a lot to tell me, Uzumaki Arashi," she said finally.

The blond man nodded.   
"I'll try to fill you in," he said. "I'll tell you everything, listen."


	10. Chapter 10

Hello, everybody! I'm sorry for such a big delay, for keeping you waiting…I can't promise there won't be the same in the future but I'll try :) Thank you for your inspiring reviews, that's great you keep reading the story! I hope you'll like it and waiting for your reviews.

My biggest thanks to my beta-reader Phillipa Engles who read the chapter and corrected all my mistakes, I really don't know what I would do without her!

Evil smile this chapter is rather quiet but the next chapter will (remembers about promise not to create spoilers and shuts up). Till the next time!

**Chapter 9. The house at the seashore. Part 2.**

_He was running along the streets of Konoha, towards his house smiling, now knowing why. He felt happy, like some part of him that had always been empty was now full of something good. Naruto sprinted towards the house faster and faster as if he was afraid to be late for something. Catching his breath he leaned to the door to hear them again – the voices of the parents he never knew. He didn't understand why it was so important for him to hear them now; it felt like he needed it…to catch something he couldn't. It really felt strange – he understood it was a dream yet he continued sleeping._

"_Naruto, you're home! Daddy, and me have a surprise for you. We are so glad to see you honey!" _

_Naruto smiled. How good it felt to hear this voice even in a dream. To feel like somebody is waiting for you; is glad to see you. The first voice is soft and gentle, the other one strong and courageous._

"_Naruto, you didn't get hurt during your mission, did you? Scars don't suit the future Hokage."_

_Sudden realizations struck him. The voice was completely familiar to him, he didn't understand when and where he heard it but it was definitely the voice of a person he met in his real life, not dreams! Naruto felt his hands shaking while opening the door of his house and then…_he awoke.

This awakening was much more pleasant than the previous one. Naruto hadn't felt any pain in his body and the fog in front of his eyes began to dissipate.

"Hi, kiddo!" he turned his head and saw a cute woman in her middle twenties with red hair who was examining him with interest.

"I'm not a kid!" Naruto growled. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, shinobi from the hidden leaf and the future hokage!"

"I see," she raised her brows in artistic wonder. "Nice to meet you, oh great one. I'm Nami, shinobi from hidden mist. Looks like I'm not going to become mizukage – all I have is my medicine talent but it comes up handy sometimes. Like this time."

"Aah," Naruto blushed and started to understand. "You saved me, didn't you?"

"Well, I think the poison disappeared by itself in several days but Arashi went overboard as usual," she smiled. "So I healed you as he asked me to, that's true."

Naruto tried to get up and found it to be a problem.

"You have broken your leg," Nami explained. "The break is rather serious so it would take several months for a common human to heal but with your regeneration you'll be ok in a week maybe even sooner. 'Til that time," she gave him a wooden stick. "Use this."

"Thanks," Naruto took it. "You are very kind."

"Oh, stop it, kiddo, I'll blush," Nami laughed. "Well, have a rest, I'll go check another patient."

"Another patient?" Naruto heart started pounding. "Yondaime, how is he? Is he injured? Is he…"

"He's alright." Nami stopped his panic. "He just decided he can stay up all day and night waiting for you to wake up." Her face became serious. "He has gone through a lot to save ya, kiddo." She entered the room where Arashi was sleeping with Naruto following her and whispered.

"Do you see the burns all over his hands? That happens when somebody uses very powerful jutsus for a long time and isn't perfect at chakra control. Its chakra burns. Looks like your hokage isn't perfect at something."

"Lightning body," Naruto whispered back. "His most frightening jutsu. He must have used it. But his face…looks like these shinobies who captured me were strong – he received several direct hits."

Nami coughed turning her face from Naruto.

"Yes," she finally answered still covering her face with her hands doing her best to suppress laugher. "So cruel."

For the first time Naruto watched Yondaime sleeping and he was surprised. The usual small wrinkles near his eyes relaxed, the features of his face softened and he looked younger than Naruto was used to seeing him.

"I put him into forced sleep," Nami explained. "He won't wake up for some time. He has to rest otherwise these burns won't heal for a long time."

"Are you his friend?" Naruto asked still looking at the sleeping hokage.

"You wanna know the truth?" Nami turned her beautiful face to Naruto. "I don't know anymore. We were good friends in the past but too much happened after that. 13 years is long enough, don't you think so?"

"13 years is a lot," Naruto nodded. "It's a whole eternity!"

"When we met, hidden mist and hidden leaf were partners," Nami explained. "We had a peaceful agreement – your hokage did a lot for this agreement to be signed. Now our villages are at war," she sighed. "Not openly of course but give them just one reason and they would attack each other," she sighed looking at her hands and turning away from Arashi. "The one who could hold together our villages was killed in Kyuubi's assault. I think I still blame Arashi for that."

Naruto growled internally. Here was the Kyuubi again. How many lives had he destroyed?

"It is my fault," he thought again but then Arashi's words flew clearly into his mind.

"_You are not kyuubi. You have nothing in common with the monster that almost destroyed our village. You were the one who saved all of us."_

At the same moment the tension went away and the blond boy felt better. Also he felt he couldn't agree with Nami.

"Yondaime gave his life to imprison kyuubi!" he shot at her a sharp look.

The red haired amazon returned him the same look and prepared to say something really rude but at the last moment she gave up.

"I know," Nami sighed again. "I know he did everything and even more to save the village but I used to think kages were all mighty. But they are also human," she added lost in her thoughts, looking at Arashi.

"When I become hokage I'll re-establish the peace, I promise," Naruto said sternly, squeezing his fists.

Nami looked at him in surprise.

"Of course you will, kiddo!" she smiled. "You are going to be a great hokage, aren't you?"

"The greatest!" Naruto nodded and turned to look at Arashi again.

"She was the same at your age," Nami whispered in awe looking at his back.

"What?" Uzumaki turned around.

"Oh, nothing," she smiled again, "Just talking to myself like an old hag."

"Do you live here all alone?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"Of course not," her smile was playful now. "Iri is with me."

"Iri?" Naruto repeated the name full of thought. "Is this the name of your husband?"

"No," she laughed. "Just a creature with a really bad temper."

"Who in the world do you say has the bad temper?" a strange voice asked at the same moment. "Are you talking about me, ungrateful woman?"

Naruto turned around to the source of the voice and jumped in shock. It was a big mew gull with a snow white body. His eyes almost looked like human eyes in some ways – they shone with wisdom and humor. Finally he turned his head upside down examining Naruto attentively.

The blond shinobi wouldn't be himself if at the same moment he hadn't pointed his finger at the bird and shouted.

"Aah! It's talking!"

At the same moment he felt pain – the bird flew from Nami's shoulder to his own and bit him on his cheek.

"What's that for?" Uzumaki exclaimed trying to shake the bird down. It didn't work.

"For calling me "it", baka. I've lived a much longer life than you can imagine so pay some respect."

"I see," Naruto rubbed his head. It was a day of surprises. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't meant to offend you," he laughed louder. "It's just not an everyday thing to meet a bird who can talk."

It looked like Iri was satisfied by this explanation because he made himself comfortable on Naruto's shoulder and didn't give any sign he was going to leave it anytime soon.

"He's a summoned bird as you have already realized, I think," Nami smiled looking at Iri's half closed eyes.

Naruto nodded.

"Let's go find you some clothes," she told him. "Your hidden leaf appearance can attract too much attention while you are in the territory of hidden mist, the village that is at war with yours. If they find out, you will be killed in an instant."

"Ok", Naruto nodded and followed her.

-----------------------------

Arashi opened his eyes and at the same moment remembered where he was. Nami's house. So everything began to return. Old connections, old places, they came back into his life. Good or bad, it could only be clear to him in time.

He got up quietly and started to examine the house. Naruto and Nami were sleeping peacefully and it was dark outside. So he woke up in the night. Great.

Arashi stopped for a moment near Naruto's bed. Poor kid, he'd had bad times lately and it could have been much worse if those shinobies had taken him where they were planning. Arashi sighed, making the blanket more comfortable on his son's shoulders.

"Isn't it enough already? Why should you have problems again and again, Naruto? Why did anything have to happen to you, my son? Why couldn't we give you a normal family, the one in which you could live happily and not be alone?"

He hadn't any answers so Yondaime just went out of the house. The night met him with millions of stars and the fresh air of the nearby sea.

Arashi walked along the seashore and then turned left, to the place where trees and the stones made a shelter for an old house, hiding it from people's eyes completely. Umi's house, the one where she lived when she just wanted to be alone, far from her village.

For a moment he just stopped in his tracks. The house seemed to hve stayed the same as when he saw it the last time. He stepped closer and touched the wooden wall with his hand, like it was the last thing that gave him a feeling of reality. He hesitated for a moment and then tried to open the door. He was surprised - it wasn't closed.

"_Arashi, there you are!"_ for a moment he had a feeling he was really hearing the voice but it was only his memories, nothing less, nothing more. He exhaled in despair and looked around. There was nothing but the walls. Everything he remembered wasn't here anymore. Maybe it was for the better, he concluded, a sad smile on his lips. It didn't give him a chance to believe everything was the same and nothing changed in his life.

His feet stepped on something and Arashi suddenly stopped. Then he reached his hand and picked up the object, wondering what it could be. Then something flashed under the moon's rays and his heart stopped for a moment. It wasn't big, a shining orb looking like a crystal. Arashi traced with his fingers, the small ledges on the thing's surface marking the sign of Umi's family. Secret jutsu, secret art, the ice crystal that couldn't melt even if you put it into a fire. It could lay here thousands of years and not change a bit. He smiled sadly. Sometimes Umi looked almost like this crystal – so beautiful, indestructible, distant and cold that he could freeze just looking at her. But sometimes things aren't the same if you look into the core. Arashi whispered some words touching the orb and it shone with pure blue light, becoming warm so that it was really pleasant in such a weather – he had already begun to freeze. Blue light reflected into his eyes as he remembered…

---------------

"How is your hand?" Umi asked him while replacing the bandage on his hand. They were sitting near the house.

"Much better, it doesn't hurt at all," Arashi lied. Actually he didn't feel well even after a week of treatment.

"Oh?" Umi's brows raised comically. "You are an awful liar, Arashi, I swear! The bone hasn't healed yet. It's natural that you can't use your hand. You are human. There is nothing to be ashamed of."

"Yes," Arashi sighed. "But…"

"But kages aren't human, are we?" now her smile was sad. "We must always be strong, invincible, the best of the best, right?"

"You tell it like it's a bad thing," Arashi looked at her in surprise. "Why?"

"Because it's a lie," Umi sighed. "I hate lying."

"I.. I don't know what to say," Arashi confessed. "I have never though about it! I just try to do my best, that's all!"

"You are a good hokage," Umi suddenly smiled. "I whish I could feel the same way." She fixed his hand and put on another bandage. "I think it will heal in a week."

"Thank you," Arashi nodded. He got up examining the bandage and the a force of a human body almost bumped into him.

"Wha'?" Arashi caught a hand with kunai several centimeters from his face. His rival was a young man of eighteen with a bunch of raven color hair and piercing ice eyes almost the same as Umi's but they shone in an unfriendly, cold way.

"Taki, stop it!" Umi took the kunai from his hands. "He's our guest and you are trying to kill him! What will he think of us?!"

"Hello, sister" he blushed, his face almost becoming the face of a scolded boy not a man. "I just saw Konoha's head protector and thought he was trying to kill you!"

"I'm sorry!" another girl appeared near the house with a mew gull on her shoulder. She had shining red hair and looked tired. "I tried to stop him but he acted too fast!"

"Didn't something like a peace agreement cross your mind?" Umi's voice souded as if she was really angry. She was so busy that she didn't even notice the appearance of another person. "Apologize, quickly!"

"I won't!" the boy angrily faced her but a moment later lowered his chin. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"That's my little brother," Umi finally managed to give Arashi some explanation.

"I'm Umi's cousin, Nami," the red haired girl smiled then roughly caught the bird from her shoulder and moved it in front of Arashi. "He's Iri."

"Stop holding me this way, it's humiliating!" the bird tried to bite Nami but she laughed and easily caught his beak making him completely defenseless.

"Nice to meet you," Yondaime smiled. "I'm Arashi…"

"Yondaime hokage? Cool!" the girl's smile became even wider.

"That's why you were able to dodge," Taki sighed in a small voice, but Umi managed to hear this.

"Don't be angry at him, Arashi," she said. "He has obvious problems with his spirit, showing it everywhere he shouldn't."

"That's ok," Arashi smiled a little trying to make the situation easier. "You seem very alike."

Nami started coughing desperately trying to his the laughter behind this while Arashi realized what he has just said – he didn't mean it but Umi could understand that she had the same problems with spirit as her brother.

"Err…not completely alike…actually completely not alike…" he stopped at the middle of his sentence not knowing how to continue.

Nami gave up trying not to laugh and laughed openly. Even Taki chuckled.

"He noticed it too, hasn't he, sister? Your temper isn't much better than mine."

A moment later Umi was on her feet watching the laughing boy running away from her.

"I swear I'll kill you, Taki!" she shouted and ran after him.

"Don't make a promise you can't keep!" the boy shouted back a running to the seashore.

"Wait for me!" Nami ran to them.

Arashi watched them in amusement. So that was what it's like – having a family.

A smile appeared on his lips. It felt really good seeing Umi really happy.


	11. Chapter 11

Hello, everybody! This chapter was written rather quickly I'm proud of myself…:) Finally as I promised action begins…evil cliffhanger included, sorry, I just can't live without them…

I wanna say thank you to my beta-reader, Phillipa Engles, who corrected this chapter as great as usual! Thank you a lot!

Hikaru, ice isn't Umi's bloodline, it's just a jutsu invented by her. Orbs are their family's secret jutsu but it's also not a bloodline.

Spellcaster Hikaru, The name Nami isn't from One peace, I watched just a few episodes of this anime and don't remember names from it. I picked the names Nami, Umi, Taki from Japanese dictionary – I thought 'hey, they are from hidden mist…so the names can be connected with water.'

Well, that's all for today. Everybody, thank you for your reviews, I really appreciate it and do my best not to disappoint you. I hope you'll like this chapter and write some more reviews for me! Till the next time!

**Chapter 10. Lies and truths.**

"This is really easy," Nami put her hands into an unfamiliar gesture. "Then…try it!"

"Something like this?" Naruto copied her hand movements rather clumsily.

"No, stop," she ordered. "Almost like that, but this one is different." She repeated the move.

Naruto obeyed, his face full of concentration.

Arashi, who had just woke up watched with amusement as the red haired amazon tryed to teach his son the basic hidden mist technique.

"That's great!" Naruto shouted as the water started to come closer to him, obeying his jutsu.

"You are a talented boy," she slapped his shoulder. "You catch on rather quickly."

"Hi, Arashi," her tone became so cold in an instant when she addressed to blond hokage that Naruto shuddered.

"Ohayou," he greeted her back because she didn't even turn to him.

Arashi came closer. He had left his forehead protector and removed all the hidden leaf signs from his clothes again. Now he looked like a common villager. His gaze stopped on Naruto, examining the boy attentively.

"How are you feeling, Naruto?" he asked finaly.

"I'm…better… thank you," the blond boy answered, uneasily eyeing him and Nami.

An awkward atmosphere hung around the three.

"Oh… ok," Arashi scratched his head not really knowing what to say next. "I'll go then," and he turned back to the house.

"Arashi!" he heard Nami calling his name and turned around.

"Yes?" he asked.

"How about trying a fight?" she said gripping her kunai. "The rules are simple – no using jutsus that could attract attention from outside. What do you think?"

The answer "no" was already on Yondaime's lips but at the same moment he caught a wild interest in Naruto's eyes. He knew – his son would never say it aloud but he really wanted to see this fight. So he couldn't refuse. Arashi felt a grin forming on his face.

"I accept the offer," he nodded.

Nami didn't give him a chance to prepare himself. She stroke violently as if killing him was her real purpose. He blocked the strike at the last moment.

"What's the matter, Arashi?" she smiled at him after exchanging a few strikes. "Are you going easy on me?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," he answered blocking another strike.

"That's good," she stopped for a moment. "'Cause the moment you do, I'll kill you. Binshou mizu! (quick water)" and the water from the nearest wave tried to catch Arashi's leg. Only his speed saved him.

She chuckled, adding chakra and another water hand tried to catch him from the opposite side. Arashi jumped only to face another hand. In a few moments he found himself surrounded by a ring of water hands. And the ring became smaller with every second.

Now he had to act or he would lose and Yondaime really hated losing.

"Suiton: Suijinheki!" he raised his hand and the claws of water met a strong wall of water, not giving them any chance to catch him.

"Very well," Nami smiled. "So you know the basics. It's more interesting than I thought. Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!"

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!" Arashi made a move Naruto knew all too well and a bunch of blond hokages rushed to the army of red haired women ready to fight.

Nami watched the scene for a moment and then with a gesture of her hand called a wave that destroyed the battlefield. Now only three figures stood at the beach again.

A lone sweat droplet fell onto the ground. Nami didn't show it but the fight wasn't a piece of cake for her. Arashi on the other hand didn't look tired at all.

"Why don't you attack me?" the amazon shouted, again gathering a wave behind her. "Are you afraid of revealing your techniques to me, hokage?"

Blue eyes met hers and Arashi said in a low voice. "The point of this fight is not training, is it, Nami? You still blame me that she's dead and I'm here, alive."

"Damn you," Nami cursed aiming the wave to destroy him. "I hate you!"

"Then we have something in common," Arashi's lips moved almost soundlessly so only she could hear the voice. "I hate myself for my lack of power to save her."

Nami shuddered at these words as if he had kicked her and a wave began to grow above their heads. It looked like a loss of chakra control for a moment had caused this. But Arashi was ready. His fingers made quick movements and then the water turned into a big, beautiful ice statue.

Nami stared at it in disbelief and let Arashi move her into a safer place Naruto speechlessly following them – he was still under the effect of witnessing the fight.

Somewhere behind their backs the ice began cracking and a second later the wave returned to the sea hiding all reminders of the fight.

"So…she taught you that technique," Nami smiled sadly. "She never taught me that, not after all the times I asked her, dammit!"

Arashi nodded absently.

"You are really a genius as they say," she gave him a real smile finally. If I didn't know you I would think you were a hidden mist shinobi, I swear!"

"So…" Arashi hesitantly looked at her, "Peace?"

"Peace," she nodded and went to the house.

"Whom were you talking about?" Naruto asked facing Yondaime. "Was she talking about the same person who could bring peace between our villages and whose death she can't forgive you for?"

Arashi's expression became distant. He sat on the sand looking somewhere past the waves. Naruto did the same. They sat for a few moments in this way just enjoying the wind's touch on their faces and listening to the sea.

"Yes," finally Yondaime broke the silence. "The person…we were talking about…her cousin," he inhaled deeply and continued. "My wife…"

Naruto stared at him with wide eyes. The question, "How can that be?" was clear in them.

"And hidden mist's mizukage," Arashi finished and continued looking away.

"Mizukage," Naruto repeated in surprise. "It it possible for a hokage to love a mizukage?" then he suddenly realized he was saying it aloud. "Ah, sorry!" he blushed, trying to apologize.

"That's ok," Arashi chuckled. These words took him somewhere into the stream of memories. He closed his eyes for a moment remembering….

----------------------

FLASHBACK

----------------------

They were walking along the seashore, it looked endless. Arashi thought it would be great to stop this moment – it felt like only the two of them existed in the universe walking towards the setting sun, watching waves lazily coming toward their shoes.

"Taki is such a noisy kid, don't you think so?" Umi broke the silence turning to him.

Arashi chuckled.

"Maybe a little," he nodded. "But he is young ,there's nothing unnatural in that."

"You are talking like you are hundred years man," Umi laughed as she heard Arashi growling at her replica and then continued. "Or you just think it's better for us to just watch them? To live a life without," her look became deeper. "Any emotion? Hate, happiness, love…"

Arashi felt himself beginning to blush. He lowered his head to stop it.

"No," he finally answered. "We must feel. Otherwise we won't be able to understand our people, will we?"

"That's true," she nodded.

"What do you think," a sudden question rushed out of his mouth before he could stop it. "What if someone from another hidden village fell in love with someone from your village what would you do?"

"I…" Umi slowly began to turn in the opposite direction, a blush all over her face. "I would just tell them to do everything to be together no matter what….because… it's the most important thing!"

"I see," Arashi nodded his eyes locked at the setting sun.

"What about you?" Umi's question caught him by surprise.

He turned to her, lost in shining blue eyes that seemed to be brighter that sun itself to him, completely lost to the world. Only him and her existed at this moment.

"Sister!" he heard the familiar annoying voice and suppressed the growl.

Taki ran to them at a crazy speed.

"What's up, brother?" Umi turned to him, amusement on her face.

"They announced the list of the chuunins who are ready for the jounin exam!" he shouted. "I'm in the list, sister, I'm on the list!"

Umi's smile became wider. She squeezed his shoulders in a tight embrace.

"That's great!" she shouted. "I'm so proud of you, Taki!"

"But there are so many strong shinobies on the list," black haired teenager sighed. "I would never be able to defeat them."

"And it's completely restricted for mizukage to help with preparations for the exams. Damn rules!" Umi cursed and then stopped, a smile spreading all over her face again. "Looks like I know what to do," she turned to Arashi and the look in her eyes didn't promise him anything good. "The rules say nothing about outsiders."

"No!" Arashi panicked crossing his hands. "I refuse! I don't think it's a good idea!"

"Arashi, please!" he just couldn't resist her pleading look and gave up a moment later.

"Ok," he nodded. "I'll help you."

"Then everything is decided!" she shouted and slapped Taki's back. "Look, kiddo, you'll be taught by the best of the hidden leaf!"

Taki's look was more skeptical.

"He doesn't look like he's the best," he snorted pointing at Arashi's broken hand.

"Teme…" Arashi growled again.

"Boys, be nice," Umi embraced both of them by their shoulders and the tension disappeared in a moment.

"Taki," she turned to her brother. "You will listen to everything Arashi says. Otherwise," her look became frightening. "I'll punish you."

"Y..yes," Taki shouted in complete terror.

Arashi just stood and was happy that that death look wasn't meant for him. Umi could look deadly serious when she wanted to.

------------------------------

"Blondaime," he heard the familiar voice and returned back to the beach near the Nami's house.

"Oh, sorry," he quickly answered. "I just got lost in thought for a moment. Did you ask something?"

"Yes," Naruto nodded. "Actually I did three times now. Could she really stop the war as Nami says?"

"Yes," Arashi smiled. "You would like her…I have never seen such a strong spirit in my life! She did everything to protect her village."

"I met hidden mist shinobies before," Naruto said. "They were strong but they were completely different from what we were so I wondered what was the hidden mist village was like, what makes them so different? But then I met Nami and she doesn't look so…cruel."

"They have different laws," Arashi said. "They are different in many ways, that's true. But not all of them."

"That's good," Naruto nodded. "So maybe there's still a chance for us to be in peace…again? When I become hokage I'll definitely make a peace agreement, I promise!"

"That's a huge promise," Arashi laughed then looked at Naruto's broken leg and shook his head in a sudden realization that they were so much alike after all.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing," Arashi turned his head from him.

"No, you have something on your mind, tell me!" Naruto shouted.

"Really nothing," Arashi smiled again. "Just try not to get hurt anymore, OK? _Scars don't suit the future Hokage._"

"O-ok," Naruto sat again uncertain look on his face. His heart pounded like crazy. It just…couldn't be. How many times had he had that dream? How could Yondaime repeat those exact words? He closed his eyes for a moment remembering the dream…feelings…his rushing to the house where his non-existand parents lived…and those voices. The ones he had always wanted to hear in reality. The voice of his father.

_Scars don't suit the future Hokage._

Was it just tricks of his mind or was his voice and the voice of Yondaime, intonation, everything the same? He felt the wave of emotions overwhelming him and squeezed his fists trying to put them under control. But it was impossible, just as if he was in the way of a tsunami.

"Naruto, are you ok? You look pale," Arashi asked, worried.

Naruto slowly turned to him and shuddered as if he saw him for the first time. Why he hadn't he noticed it before? Blond hair, completely the same color he had, blue eyes that stared now at him…was it only a coincidence? Scenes of the past quickly stood in his mind. Foolish jokes that Tsunade-baachan hated so much, the same jutsus they used, the same love of ramen…

"_No, it can't be_," he told to himself trying to gather the remains of his powers and stop the panic. "_He would tell me,"_ he caught the thought like a straw trying to find a way to explain everything. "_He would definitely have told me the truth," _Naruto thought. "Maybe I should ask him?" the sudden thought came into his mind and then Naruto realized one more thing – no force in the world would make him say these words.

"_..Um…Blondaime…are you my father?" _ Naruto imagined himself asking this and felt really uncomfortable. It was such a foolish question!

Blond boy exhaled in despair. He definitely needed time to think about it. He stood up.

"Naruto?" Arashi asked again.

"Everything is alright," Naruto forced himself to smile. "I'll just walk for awhile, ok?"

Arashi concentrated his chakra trying to detect any genjutsu around his son. There was nothing. But why had his mood changed in such a way? Did he do something wrong?

Something in him said it was a bad idea to live the boy alone. The other part insisted Naruto wouldn't like it if he tried to stop him.

"Ok," Arashi finally nodded.

Naruto stood up and slowly walked along the seashore. Thanks to kyuubi's regeneration his leg was almost completely healed and he could step on it slowly and he didn't use a stick. It felt good.

"Could it be real?" he continued thinking wile his legs moved him farther and farther from Nami's house.

He hated Yondaime at the beginning with all his heart but times changed and the hate went away and was replaced with what? Naruto remembered the times they sat together talking. It felt like…well, he didn't know what family was like but maybe it was something like that? Anyway, he admitted to himself, he didn't hate the idea of Yondaime being his father.

"_To be the son of hokage…But again…if even for a moment I suppose it's the truth then why didn't the others tell him? The 3rd, Tsunade-baachan, Kakashi. Nobody. What was the reason?_"

"No," Naruto shook his head. "It's not true. Even if I wanted to…wished it with all my heart it's not the truth. I can't live in a world of illusions. My parents are dead and they will stay dead whatever I do."

He didn't look where he was going to and when he suddenly looked up he found himself near a little house hidden behind the rocks and trees.

"_Is somebody living here?"_ Naruto wondered, his thoughts about his parents beginning to leave him and almost like an answer to his thought a figure appeared at the doorstep.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I'm so glad to see you in person after all these years," strong male voice said.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked cautiously not knowing what to expect – an attack or a friendly greeting. He moved a little closer trying to see his opponent's face.

The person smiled, took a step closer too and spoke the words that completely kicked the ground from under Naruto's feet.

"I am your father."


	12. Chapter 12

Hello, everybody! I'm sorry for such a big delay! The chapter didn't go well so I stopped for awhile and then rewrote it.

My biggest thanks to my beta-reader,Phillipa Engles, for the big correcting work with this chapter!

My thanks to all the reviewers and the ones who sent me PMs and inspired to continue the story! Thank you that you didn't give up in waiting for the next chapter though it isn't very big…I hope you'll like it. I'm waiting for your reviews!

Till the next time!

**Chapter 11. Ghosts of the past**

Hours passed and Arashi became nervous. He walked along the beach and found nobody. Naruto had disappeared again. Nami followed the fourth hokage and the uncertain look on her face became bigger with every passing moment. Arashi didn't ask but he felt she knew something. Well, it was obvious, he knew it himself but refused to believe it.

Finally he stopped at the clearing near Umi's house. Naruto wasn't here but there was another orb like the one he had seen earlier.

"Dammit," Archie cursed tightening his grip on it. "I thought it's just an old memory. I was wrong."

"It has been awhile, 4th hokage," a familiar voice filled the clearing.

"Taki," Arashi said recognizing it in an instant.

FLASHBACK

-----------------------

"Listen to me, you, awful creature," Arashi told the boy finally losing his temper. "When I told you to use Katon I didn't mean you should perform the technique at the same time! It's a miracle that my hair is still on my head!"

"Sorry," the boy laughed. "I couldn't help myself," and laughed stronger.

"If you become a jounin it will be the end of this village," Arashi sighed. "Apparently Umi cared for you too much so she completely spoiled you."

The boy's face became serious at the time Arashi mentioned his sister.

"Do you love her?" he asked straight.

"What?" Arashi who had begun showing hand seals stopped in the middle.

"I asked if you love my sister," Taki repeated without a hint of embarrassment.

This way of speaking impressed Arashi most of all – this boy could keep a stern face at the moments it was completely impossible to do so. Arashi, even being a hokage, couldn't get used to it.

"Of course not," he quickly answered starting to blush.

"You love her," the boy concluded examining him. "There is nothing wrong. Everybody loves her. She is so strong. Nobody saw her crying, only me," his fingers tightened their grip on the kunai as he continued.

"The day our parents were killed. The whole family."

"What happened?" Arashi asked.

Taki shrugged.

"An enemy's attack. They risked everything to save the village. It was the only moment when I saw her broken, weak, crying. So I promised to myself to look after her. I won't let it happen again. So I warn you, Arashi, if you try to do something that makes her cry, I will," his voice was full of menace so strong that Arashi shuddered. "I will make you suffer."

----------------------------

"Seems like you didn't forget me," the voice was ironical now.

"Did you order to kidnap Naruto?" Arashi asked while he continued examining him. Yes, there was a little left of the boy who wished to become a jounin. Taki's face had became much older, there was sadness in his eyes and his face radiated hate. Hate towards him, Arashi.

"Yes," finally he answered. "Naruto is with me now."

Arashi's hands turned into fists. He was doing his best not to show his enemy what he was feeling but it was becoming more and more difficult with every second.

"He is a child form our village," he said sternly. "Capturing him means the beginning of a war."

"You think I'm afraid of it?" the other man squinted. "You are hokage, standing on the ground that belongs to me, mizukage, saying something about war?"

"So you fulfilled your goals," Arashi nodded. "You became mizukage. My congratulations. Now, please, return Naruto before I become very, very angry, Taki."

"Stop acting like I'm still a kid!" black haired man growled. "You are not in a situation to ask for anythingthing, don't you think so, hokage?"

"Wanna know who is stronger?" Arashi felt anger in his body crossing the line. He really wanted him to attack, try to kill him so he could pay him back with full force.

The one who called himself mizukage smiled.

"You are boiling with anger, aren't you, hokage? You are angry because I have all the cards in my hands for my revenge!"

"Revenge?" Arashi looked at him attentively. "So it's all about revenge. If it is don't involve other people in this business. Let's make it between two of us."

Taki's smile hardened.

"Do you remember, hokage? I promised I'll make you suffer if you make Umi cry. Killing you would be too easy now. You'll lose everything you love before you die."

Arashi felt fear coming closer to his heart. He didn't like the situation at all.

"What…did you do to Naruto?" he didn't recognize his voice.

He wanted to do his best not to put the emotion in his words for Taki not to know the truth but he really had the feeling the dark haired mizukage already knew somehow. That everything is becoming much more complicated with every second.

"To predict your enemy's every step," Taki smiled, examining Arashi attentively. "Isn't it your favorite tactic, hokage? You are a good teacher. You taught me well. I remember all the lessons."

The fear came closer. Everything…was terribly wrong, something in Arashi screamed he must act.

"I watched you for a long time," Taki smiled while something into Arashi screamed. "How…When…Why? Why didn't I see anything?"

"So touching…being afraid of telling the truth…being in one step, so near your son and still being unable to do anything. Such a sad picture. It's worth writing a story about, don't you think so, hokage?"

Arashi's fingers began to tremble so he put them behind his back. He must not to show any weakness…at all costs!

"I took the step you were so afraid of, Yondaime," Taki smiled and Arashi felt he's either fallen unconscious or must kill this person here and now. But he just stood in his tracks not knowing why.

"I told him I'm his father," Taki smiled. "Well, by the laws of our village it's the truth. After the death of parents the closest relative takes their place."

"No," Arashi's voice was full of anger, pain and despair at the same time.

"You are dead, hokage," Taki smiled. "You died 13 years ago with my beloved sister. The creature I see before me is just a shell to which I direct all my revenge. My son will become mizukage and forget you forever."

"I won't," Arashi finally fought with the weakness in his legs and took a step. "I won't let you!"

"Oh?" the black haired man laughed. "Maybe I should tell him the truth? How his father found the scroll which caused the death of his mother and imprisoned kyuubi in him?"

"You," Arashi took another step. "I'll kill you, I swear!"

The man finished laughing at the same moment he met with blue eyes with lightning inside. The games ended now.

"Don't make a promise you can't keep," his face radiated hate again. And he disappeared.

Arashi lost all his self control and ran to the fading mist which hid the remains of a jutsu. Slowly he picked up the orb and broke it with his bare hand. Perfect stone or not, it wasn't the thing Umi created. So it had its weaknesses.

Nami watched the scene soundlessly. She knew if she came any closer this moment will be the last moment of her life.

In the deafening silence the only sound was Arashi's heavy breathing. A minute passed, then another one and finally he straightened.

"They are already at the hidden mist," he said. His voice was without emotions, just a conclusion.

Nami wondered how much chakra it cost for him to keep himself that rigid.

"Arashi," he heard her hesitating voice. "I swear, I said nothing to Taki. I would never…"

"I know," he turned to her, his eyes sparkling too much under the rising moon. Was he suppressing tears? Nami didn't know.

"Will you help me?" he asked. "By doing this you will go against your mizukage. It's not a good idea."  
"I will help," she came closer. "You are Naruto's father after all. Good or bad, but Umi would like him to be with his father, not Taki."

"Thanks," he nodded. "We need a plan. We must act quickly but with open minds. Taki is a dangerous opponent," he went along the shore, Nami following him.

"One more thing," he stopped for a moment. "From now on I act not as a shinobi of hidden leaf or hokage. Interfering in other village's business without the elder's authorization automatically leads to them declaiming me as a missing nin. It's a self-defense matter. We don't need another war. So you shouldn't tell anybody about my real occupation no matter what."

"You have my word," she nodded. "No one will ever know."

"That's good," he kept on going.

"How can you be so calm?" she asked, nervous, looking at his back and trying to understand what was on his mind.

"I know Naruto," Arashi answered sternly. "He isn't a person who would break in that situation. I believe in him, that he would be able to recognize where the truth is and where the lies are. Taki doesn't mean to hurt him. So all we have to do is to act cautiously and not make the situation much worse."

"I really would like to know your words are the truth," Nami sighed.

"I'd like to believe myself," Arashi muttered looking at the rising moon.

They walked into the mist and wandered along the empty streets of the village. The fog was everywhere so all Naruto could see was a pair of buildings and trees.

"It's already night," the man who called himself his father said. "So everybody is asleep. It's rather crowded during the day."

Naruto nodded hesitantly not knowing what to say.

"Did you leave a message for Yondaime?" he asked.

Taki's face became grim for a moment and then his smile returned.

"Of course, I did it," he said kneeling on the ground and correcting Naruto's clothes which had become ruffled during their trip. "You don't need to worry about that. Now we are family. I'm so glad to find you. You don't know how I felt when I learnt you were alive. I considered you dead for all these years."

"Where is my mother?" Naruto asked hesitating again.

The man's face became sad.

"She was killed many years ago," he said while correcting Naruto's clothes. The distant look reminded Naruto of Yondaime again. They - the fourth and the man who called himself his father – were alike in some ways…He examined the elder's face attentively and was surprised. Now he saw the features he saw in his mirror every day. The same eyes, form of face. So he hadn't lied. He really was his father.

Naruto shook his head. Something…wasn't right. It couldn't be that simple, all his shinobi instincts cried out inside him. To live for 13 years and then just find his family…

Taki looked at him and smiled again.

"You still don't believe me," he concluded softly.

"It's not…very easy," Naruto answered in a small voice.

Taki's hand ruffled his hair a little and he breathed out a little and smiled almost the same way Arashi used to do when he tried to reassure someone.

"That's ok," he nodded. "I understand, you need time. You are tired. Let's go to my house."

He stood up.

Naruto nodded and followed him. The feeling of uneasiness didn't disappear; it only became stronger after these words. He wanted to believe but he couldn't. Was it because he had already prepared himself to the idea that Yondaime could be his father? He didn't know.


	13. Chapter 13

Hello, everybody! Here I am, back from vacation, celebration of my birthday etc. I've got good news. I finally finished the this story (there will be the third part but as for this story..that's all). I'm really sorry it took so long to finish it. It just didn't felt right to finish it. Maybe it's the writer's block or how they call it…well, anyway it's finished now.

I want to say my greatest thanks to my beta-reader Phillipa Engles. You often praise me for my good English – and I have to officially announce that all this good English is thanks to her – she corrects all my mistakes. Only she knows how many of them I make (to my shame, I really need to take a grammar book and study).

I'd like to say thank you, all the readers, who inspired me with your reviews to continue the story. Usually if I give up writing the story. I leave it unfinished, but I just couldn't leave it this way with this story – not when I read all these wonderful reviews. I sit and bit by bit write it, chapter by chapter. It's really pleasant to write when you know somebody waits for this story, to know what happens next. I hope, I won't disappoint you.

Hyper Alchemist, looks like you won the bet, I finished the story ;)

Everybody who wants to do it, you are free to translate the story the language you want. Just let me know. I just wonder maybe one day it will be my native language :)

Well, that's all for today. I hope you'll have good time while reading the end of this story. As for the third part – I have already written the end of it (I don't understand, why endings are so easy to write while middle-story chapters sometimes are really pain.) As for the beginning and middle – I'll be working on them. As usual, I'm waiting for your reviews. Till the next time!

**Chapter 12. When the new day came**

FLASHBACK

----------------------------

"How is your training with Taki going?" Arashi heard the voice somewhere behind his back and turned around.

"Hello, Umi," he nodded. The Mizukage looked perfect in her blue clothes – they made her eyes look even more blue than they really were.

"Not bad. He is fast learner," Arashi began.

"Why do I feel there's a 'but' in your words?" Umi raised her brows and smiled a little.

Arashi scratched his head.

"Yeah," he finally admitted. "He isn't stable. He scares me sometimes. He has too many emotions when he doesn't need them and lacks them when I think it's natural for him to feel. He isn't afraid of death at all. I don't think he is ready to be a jounin…mentally."

Umi turned around.

"The exam will show if he's ready or not," she whispered.

"But you feel the same way, don't you?" Arashi stepped forward a little to see her face again.

"I keep thinking of what I did wrong while raising him," Umi sighed unable to stand the piercing sight of the blue eyes of the blond Hokage. "The loss of our parents, it affected him terribly. I was lost and I couldn't be strong for him. It was my mistake."

"Nobody could be strong in such a situation," Arashi said. "Not you nor him. It's the way things are."

Umi wrapped her hands around herself like she was cold. Arashi felt a strong impulse to support her…somehow…anyhow…just to not see her so lost.

"I'll help him…you…with all I can," he promised.

She looked at him and small hint of smile appeared in her eyes.

"You really mean it," she whispered. "You are really a good man, Arashi," for a moment he felt a grip of her hand on his hand and then, at the next moment she just turned around and went away.

---------------------------------

Arashi opened his eyes and stared at the gates of the village of hidden mist.

"How long did I sleep?" he wondered. Nami was sitting next to him on a wide branch of the tree and looking at him whispered.

"The guards haven't changed yet. I sent Birdie to check up on the surroundings – no one has noticed us yet."

"Good," Arashi nodded. "When the guards change we must take our chance."

"It will happen soon," she whispered again.

"There are no more guards," the hoarse voice of Iri resounded near their ears. Arashi nearly lost his grip and fell in surprise upon hearing it.

"Easy," Nami growled helping him to keep his balance. "Acting like a pre-schooler, I can't believe it!"

"Sorry," Arashi quickly whispered back. "Look, they are changing!"

"Great!" Nami smiled and whispered.

"Iri, you know what to do."

The bird nodded and left her shoulder.

"What is he going to do?" Arashi wondered.

"Just look," Nami continued to smile. "It's a trick from my childhood."

Arashi made himself as comfortable as possible on his branch and watched the scene which promised to be interesting.

-------------

"Hello, guys!" two hidden mist shinobies greeted another two ready to finally leave their post. "How was the night?"

"Everything is quiet," one of the quards anwered.

"Perfect," the first one nodded. "Go, have a rest."

"Hey!" the eyes of the other doubled in size. He pointed his hand at his companion.

"What?" the second asked.

"There…there is a huge crow over your head!"

"Crow?" he asked and turned around to see nothing.

"Up, look up!" the first one said and finally the guard shinobi saw the big, black bird flying just above his head.

"Fly away, you, dirty bird!" he growled trying to hit it with kunai.

The crow easily avoided the attack and sat on his head. One second – and his forehead protector was in the bird's claws.

"Give it to me!" he shouted jumping as high as possible trying to retreive his precious armor while the other shinobies were laughing out loud watching the scene.

"You, blockheads, help me already!" he shouted, out of breath breaking into a run after the bird.

His companions looked at each other, smiled and moved to his side.

----------------------

"That's our chance," Nami muttered and she and Arashi moved in an instant to the gates. Another moment – and they disappeared into the crowd. Somewhere behind them, two shinobies lay on the ground – they followed the crow so fast that they didn't notice the pile of stones in their path – the stones Nami hid with her jutsu - and another two continued shouting something really rude about birds in general and crows in particular.

---------------------

Naruto went out of the house and breathed out the air of Mist village. The roads were crowded with people. Everybody was going about their business and nobody paid attention to the blond boy with claw-like scars on his cheeks.

Naruto smiled. It felt much better than cold eyes of the villagers of Hidden Leaf who were afraid of him like hell. The man who called himself his father – he still called him that in his head – wasn't home when he woke up. Probably he went to his office – Naruto eyed the large white stone building at the other part of the village. It was so big that it was easy to notice it from any part of the village.

He had breakfast at a ramen restaurant not far from his house – it reminded him of Ichiraku's a little, but only with its appearance – the moment Naruto tasted the ramen here he understood that the ramen of Konoha's old man couldn't be compared with anything.

"Here is the money," he gave the owner the payment but old man just smiled and refused.

"The Mizukage's" son shouldn't pay for anything," he told Naruto.

"You know who I am?" Naruto made wide eyes.

"The village isn't that big. The news spread around in a moment," the owner smiled again.

"I see," Naruto sat with uncertain look in his eyes. One part of him shouted.

"That's great, let's order more!" but suddenly he felt it completely impossible to do. It just felt…wrong. Nobody gave him anything just because he was somebody's relative. Everything he received in his life was for his deeds so receiving something for free…he didn't like this feeling. So he thanked the owner and went out.

It looked like the news really started to spread out because Naruto caught people's eyes on him much more than before. Moreover, some girls about his age started whispering staring at him, running after him and laughing. Naruto felt uneasy. Never in his life he could even imagine that the day will come he'll understand what felt Sasuke when all the girls from the village were running after him. Lukily, no one of them tried to speak to him.

Completely tired of people's attention Naruto did what he always did – he went towards the forest at the southern part of the village and found training grounds.

"Finally, something useful!" blond genin smiled. "Training sounds good."

He already moved his hands into familiar gesture when he felt danger in the air. He turned around just in time – a bunch of shurikens stuck in the branch of a tree just at the level his head had been one moment ago.

Naruto backed up, preparing his kunai, and moved it to clash it with his opponent's weapon, staring into the dark eyes of the girl about ten years old.

"If you are aiming for the title of Mizukage prepare to fight with me!" the girl exclaimed trying to kick him. Naruto easily avoided the attack and caught her hands.

"Why in the world would I want to receive the title of Mizukage?" he asked in wonder.

"Everybody in the village keeps saying that," the girl lowered her head with dark shining hair. "That the Mizukage's son has returned and he'll be the next Mizukage. But it's my place! My mom is Mizukage!"

Naruto released her hands and scratched his head trying to understand the situation.

"So, there are two Kages in this village?" he finally understood.

"Yes. My mother and your dad," the girl nodded.

Naruto nodded too, the words "your dad" strangely resounding into his head.

"So," she looked at him again. "Do you want to become mizukage?"

"No…I think," Naruto answered uneasily. Really, what was he going to do with his life now? He wanted to become Hokage and now it appeared that his parents were from Hidden Mist so his place to live was here, away from his friends, his dream to become hokage.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked. "You look lost."

Naruto sighed. It wasn't only the look, he felt lost. He needed to talk with this man now.

"Sorry, I need to go," he apologized and quickly disappeared from the training grounds.

"Strange boy," dark haired girl concluded and aimed her kunai at the next pole.

-----------------

Naruto reached his house as sun decided to settle down to sleep behind the sea. He wasn't allowed to enter the mizukage's office.

"We know, you are Taki-sama's son but the rules are for everyone – nobody is allowed to enter here without top priority business."

Naruto wanted to act like he always did in Tsunade's office when he wasn't allowed to enter but suddenly stopped remembering it wasn't his village. It wasn't his home.

"What am I doing here?" he wondered for the one hundredth time in a day while watching the last rays of the sun disappearing in the sea.

There was still nobody at the house.

"Strange," Naruto thought. "Maybe he works all the night?" He studied the house. Almost all the doors were locked except for his room, kitchen and bathroom. Naruto rememebered Arashi's house – the one without closed doors and locks.

"The blond hokage – where is he now?" Naruto wondered. "Maybe he received Taki's message and has already left for home."

Home…He sighed. Here he said it once more. He called Konoha his home. It was the only truth. Konoha was his home and this village…wasn't.

Thinking too much Naruto didn't notice a small table downstairs and bumped into it.

"Aww! Stupid table!" he kicked the furniture one more time.

A photo falling from it caught Naruto into strange sence of déjà vu. He caught it without problem and stared at the familiar face and almost dropped it in surprise. Here she was again, the beautiful girl with black hair and shiny ice eyes.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" a voice behind his back almost made Naruto jump out of his skin.

He turned around to find mizukage of this village smiling at him.

Naruto nodded and put the photo in its place.

"Who is she?" he asked.

"My sister," now the man who called himself his father looked sad. Naruto examined him in surprise – he almost looked like Yondaime when he was talking about his wife. His wife…Something clicked into Naruto's mind.

"Nami's cousin…your sister…Yondaime's wife," he said in disbelief.

The same person. It looked like all the misteries of the past turned around one person…this girl.

"Umi…was her name," Taki whispered still looking at the photo.

"Umi," Naruto repeated. "So…you and Yondaime…you are the one family…"

He didn't have a chance to finish the sentence. Taki interrupted him in an instance.

"Don't say his name under this roof anymore! It's a forbidden topic, understood?"

"But…why?" Naruto shouted. "He is a good person!"

Taki turned his face to him amd Naruto shuddered. He looked…very, very scary.

"'Cause I told you so!" Taki growled. "I am your father and it's my right to decide who is good and who is bad."

Naruto bit his lip trying not to say anything rude. Maybe he was his father but he didn't allow anybody to talk to him like this.

It looked like he had found another reason why he didn't like being here.

Taki opened his mouth to say something else but suddenly stopped. Blue eyes so much alike Umi's looked at him with such a pain that he slapped himself mentally.

"I'm sorry," he sighed trying to sound friendlier. "Arashi…wasn't welcomed in out family; it's still a painful topic," he confessed. "Let's talk about it another time. Agree?"

"Yes," Naruto nodded and went upstairs. He didn't trust this man and this feeling became stronger with every minute. He had to lay low and think up a plan.

The first stars appeared behind his window and Naruto started to fall into a dreamless sleep. Suddenly he felt like somebody was banging into his window. He jumped prepaing for an attack but saw nobody. Naruto sighed with relief and had returned to his bedside when the knocking continued. The blond genin turned around and opened his mouth in surprise – the familiar big white bird was sitting near his window.

"Iri!" Naruto shouted in surprise and opened the window immediately.

"Not so loud, kiddo," he heard a woman's voice. Nami climbed inside his room. "We aren't welcomed here," she explained.

"You are…" Naruto started but his attention fell to the window where another figure had just appeared.

"Blondaime!" he whispered loudly.

Arashi was sitting at the window, his hair was a mess. It looked like he hand't slept well but his wide smile hid all these things.

"Thank all the powers," he whispered. "You are ok. Come on, let's get out of here!"

"But," the blond haired ninja stopped in his tracks. "If he is my father…this village is my home. It's foolish to run away from here."

Arashi's face became sad.

"It's not true, Naruto," he said solemnly. "Everything this man told you…it was a lie. He is not your father and it's not your home."

Naruto shook his head in despair trying to understand, trying to make the situation more stable. The world was crashing down around him once again and he could do nothing to stop it. A sudden thought came into his head.

"If you can tell me that Mizukage is not my father then you should know my father's true name," piercing blue eyes stared at Arashi.

Hokage's face turned into grimace.

"Please, not here, not now," he prayed to someone.

Fate heard him once again.

"I've been waiting for you, Fourth," a rude man's voice pierced through the darkness.

Arashi raised his head.

"Taki," his voice didn't contain any strong emotion, only recognition.

A cold kunai met his neck.

"It's pleasure finally to see you in person," Taki whispered, coming closer.

Arashi closed his eyes for a moment then spoke.

"My conditions are the same. Naruto is Konoha's shinobi. He will live in Konoha."

"Maybe he should know more about his family?" Taki whispered. "The boy is old enough, don't you think, Yondaime?"

"To know what?" Naruto asked looking at the scene with fear. He had the feeling the next words he would hear would crush his world completely.

"The truth is…" Taki began but never continued.

Yellow flash flickered in the night and two figures flew down the sea.

"Yondaime!" Naruto cried watching the flight that lasted seconds. Splash of the water – and everything disappeared.

Blond genin rushed to the exit almost knocking down Nami standing on his way.

"Naruto!" she caught him.

"Yondaime..." he breathed out. "Mizukage…We must hurry!" and ran down the stairs. Nami ran after him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 13. Two powers collide.**

Mist surrounded Arashi the moment he reached the surface of the water. He saw nothing at all so he raised his hand to perform a jutsu but stopped. A lone figure appeared wrapped in the clouds of mist and the blond hokage felt his heart stop for a moment.

The figure took a few more steps and then stopped just in front of him.

"Umi," Arashi breathed out.

Yes, it was her, as beautiful as she was the day they met. The same shining hair and crystal blue eyes, the same thin hands and full lips. He felt he could spend an eternity just looking at her.

"Come on, dear," she smiled the way only she could. "Let's go home, Arashi."

Yondaime didn't turn his eyes from her as if he was afraid she'd disappear.

Slowly he rose to his legs and came to her.

---------------------------

"They must be somewhere close," Naruto shouted running on the water.

"Wait!" Nami stopped nearby. She was breathing rather heavy. "Let's perform some jutsu, we won't find them in such thick fog."

"Do it!" Naruto nodded and continued running.

"What a stubborn boy," Nami cursed trying carch up to him. "Like you can do something even if you find them!"

-----------------------------

Finally he felt peace in his heart. Everything was right. His wife, his Umi was with him. He couldn't wish for more. But why did he feel something is not right, something not in its place?

Something…very important.

"Yondaime!" he heard a voice through the thick fog. The voice was familiar but he couldn't understand whom this voice belonged to.

-----------------------------

Naruto ran through the fog and finally saw a mass of blond hair.

"Yondaime!" he shouted but received no response. Arashi was staring at the fog like someone was here.

Naruto made another step and bumped into an invisible wall. He tried to smash it but nothing worked. At the same time he saw a dark figure with kunai at Arashi's back.

"Yondaime!" Naruto's voice became more desperate. Here, in front of his eyes the blond hokage was caught in genjutsu and he could do nothing to help him, to save him.

Rasengan flicked in his hand and the moment he moved it to strike the wall Nami appeared.

"Naruto!" she shouted.

Arashi took his wife's hand and prepaired to make the first step. The voice continued to call him but he didn't care. He had his right to be happy, to live a simple life. The voice gave up for a moment but another moment one more voice joined him, shouting familiar word.

"Naruto!"

At the same moment the world around him exploded.

Memories of the past days filled his mind. Umi, how ironical. He looked at the face of the fantom he believed was his wife remembering…

FLASHBACK

----------------------------------------------------------

"Stop it already!" after ten minutes Arashi gave up.

Umi chuckled.

"I didn't know you were so ticklish, Yondaime hokage." She was standing, concentrating chakra somewhere near his chest.

Arashi was holding back his laugher with for all he could.

"Hold up a little longer," Umi doubled her effort sweat droplets appearing on her forehead.

"Do we really need it?" Arashi asked looking at her.

Blue tattoo with strange symbol flickered on his skin and disappeared completely.

"That's a guarantee," Umi explaimed breathing heavily. "You have never seen how people under mind catching jutsus killed the ones they loved. I saw it and I don't want it to happen, neither with you nor with me nor with our son. They say these marks stay even after death."

"How does it work?" Arashi asked.

"It's the seal," Umi explained. It holds memories and even if they are suppressed one can tell you the key word and you'll snap out of the mind catching jutsu.

"That's a good jutsu," Arashi agreed. "What keyword did you choose?"

Umi wrapped her hands around him and whispered.

"Naruto."

Arashi rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"I should have guessed."

"Come on, get up, lazy one," Umi pushed him a little. "Did you catch the basics of this jutsu? Now it's your turn to do the same to me!"

"My pleasure," Arashi muttered.

-------------------------------------------

The kunai's blade flashed into the mist preparing to take Yondaime's life but he turned around at the last moment catching his attacker's hand.

"Don't think I give up that quickly, Taki," Arashi growled.

"Still it was a nice try," the Mizukage laughed. "I almost got you!"

It sounded so much alike their training sessions that Arashi winced.

"He is not Umi's brother you used to know," he reminded himself. "He kidnapped Naruto and wanted to make him live in lies."

He must put the past aside, otherwise he won't be able to win the fight so he and Naruto could go home. He must find calmness in his heart, he must be strong. Almost as the day when…the past caught him in its claws one more time.

------------------------------

FLASHBACK

He stood up. There was not pain in his eyes, no tears, nothing that could keep him attached to this world. He knew – one wrong thought, one wrong feeling and he won't be able to do what he must do. He felt like liquid flame is flowing into his body and closed his eyes for a moment. Yes, it was the right feeling.

Nobody stopped him. He just walked along the streets saying goodbye to everything he knew and loved. He didn't feel pain because he was already dead – he died the same moment his wife breathed out her last breath.

People were rushing before him trying to protect their lives. He didn't care. At the same moment he didn't think about this village, about his people because these were dangerous thoughts, they were too close to his heart that had to stay dead.

But his entire stern mood was destroyed with limp body bumping into him. Arashi caught it and looked at the scared face of a boy. Iruka, that was his name, wasn't it? For a moment the fourth hokage felt the stabbing pain in his chest. Here, in this house stayed his son and he was going to leave him alone to this world, full of dangers. He was going to imprison a monster into him, to turn his life into the nightmare. What right did he have to do this to his son? Looking at the scared face of dark haired boy Arashi saw all the things he won't be able to see in reality – his son's first steps, his first exams, his konoha's forehead protector, his first missions, first love…

For a moment he wanted to run away and surrender, but this was only one moment of weakness.

"_Kage's aren't human, are we?"_ he remembered Umi's sad voice and finally truly realized the meaning of it. "_We must always be strong, invincible, the best of the best, don't we_?"

"Yes," he whispered with his lips and breathed out an encouraging smile to this kid. Yes, he must protect all of them, at all costs. His son, Umi's son, he'll understand because he'll be the same as they were.

He stood up and walked to the gate, opening it. White and red clothes waved on him like wings as he stepped on Gamabunta's back. The nine tailed fox growled preparing to attack as Arashi put his hands into the series of seals he had never done in his life. And something unexpected happened – for a moment the fox backed away. Was it because it saw the death in Yondaime's eyes? Or simply because it felt a strong opponent? The Blond haired man didn't know. As the last seal was finished and the strange creature called shinigami went after the fox he felt darkness coming to his eyes. But till the last moment he couldn't help himself but thinking about little kid crying at the hokage's house.

"Naruto," he whispered to the wind knowing that only he and Gamabunta would hear his words. "Please, forgive me…"

---------------

The darkness surrounded the sea completely and all Naruto could see was two lightning bolts that meet one another from time to time in the air.

Nami finally ran to him catching Naruto into her hands and preventing him from causing any disturbances in the fight.

"That's their business now," she whispered. "We are not that mighty as to interfere."

Naruto nodded weakly. Strange thoughts were flying into his head. He didn't wantYondaime to die at all costs and still he felt the Mizukage was his only key to the truth. But he felt that this was the fight where only one could win.

---------------

"Taki became strong," Arashi acknowledged. The tricks, jutsus he taught him long ago and other jutsus he didn't know – everything was put into destroying him. He wasn't afraid, no, but he clearly saw the possibility of loosing this fight and dying.

"Eat this…and this," Taki performed one jutsu after other without hesitations.

"He…just can't hold such a speed forever," Arashi thought dodging. "These are foolish and dangerous tactics – he'll be out of breath soon."

All he could do now was to avoid the attacks – if he wanted Taki to live.

"Come on!" the black haired mizukage shouted. "Show me what you've got! Or you are so afraid of me that you can't attack, hokage?"

Arashi didn't answer. He just continued to parry the attacks.

In a few moments Taki stopped in his tracks.

"I see," he said. "You don't want to hurt me. Such generousity. But I'm not the kid you used to know, Yondaime. I will fight dirty; I will use everything to destroy you. Even…" his eyes fell downside where Nami was still holding Naruto.

Taki's eyes became cold. He turned to Arashi look of tryumph in his eyes, made a move of his hand…and a big wave raised after Naruto and Nami's backs preparing to crash them.

"NO!" Arashi shouted and a yellow lightning flickered one more time in attempt to be in time, to parry the attack, to protect the one dearest to him.

Naruto watched the scene wide eyed. If till this moment he had some hesitations about whether this man was his father, now he had none. No father would risk his child's life for revenge – he was sure. He was lied to…once again.

Nami tried to protect him with her body but Arashi reached them in time catching the wave. The shield made in seconds didn't hold all the attack and Naruto saw in Yondaime's eyes – it was very painful. It looked like Arashi had bruised his ribs. It looked like Nami saw the same.

"Are you…" she began.

"Alright," he answered stretching his hands. It took him a few more seconds to catch a breath – and then he rushed to attack Taki.

Now he acted more aggressive. With a strong wind blow he kicked the mizukage into the nearest hill. Taki raised on his legs just in time – to parry another jutsu.

"That was low," Arashi growled trying to disarm him. Now they were rolling near the cliff forgetting all the jutsus. This was too personal – to decide who is the winner with jutsus. Their hands and legs were the best weapon.

Taki punched him once, twice – Arashi avoided the blows only partly – like he wanted to feel pain, to become angry. To find the powers in himself to kill his opponent – to kill the boy who he trained himself. To cut another string attached to his past.

"You will not bring her back with that," he told him calmly catching one another blow.

"I know!" Taki growled. "And you think it's a good reason to stop? To shake hands and call one another best friends while she is dead?"

"Just look at you," Arashi continued. "Look at yourself, what you became. What would Umi say if she saw you? You used her son for revenge. You betrayed everything she taught you."

Taki stood up. His face was pale, his lips shook but there was calmliness on his face.

"What I became…" he whispered. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that she is dead."

"Taki," Arashi whispered in shock. This creature…it wasn't the Taki he knew. He made this creature with his own hands…the day he failed to save Umi.

Everything was like a nightmare – he avoided Taki, attack after attack. The moves of his opponent became slow like the thoughts in Arashi's head.

"It's my fault. The way he grew up…it's all my fault. My mistake. But…" he avoided the blow coming right on the edge of the cliff. "But I can't die yet because Naruto needs me. I won't make the same mistake twice. I won't leave him to grow on his own…once again. I must survive…for him."

"Great wall!" Taki called his usual jutsu and Arashi just flickered from the way of the water. Taki saw it too late – he was caught in his own jutsu and fell from the cliff.

He closed his eyes preparing to die but at the same time felt rope catching his left hand. He raised his head to find Arashi holding another end of the rope – not letting him fall.

"Don't you think it's a foolish way to die?" Arashi's voice was rude but full of compassion – and for a moment Taki felt like he was in a lesson again. Like there weren't those painful years, there was his sister, her friend, the hokage…their family.

"You still have friends," Arashi's voice was stern and calm. "It's not too late for you to change everything, Taki."

"Maybe he is right? Maybe…" Taki sighed, pulling out something from his pocket.

"You…helping me here," he began. "It will mean you saved my life. So in the laws of my family…" he caught the rope with his hand while pulling the kunai closer with the other.

"No!" Arashi shouted trying to pull him quicker than the Mizukage could perform his plan but it was too late. Taki, a triumphed look on his face, fell down the cliff. Without a sound, the sea took him – and became smooth again – like nothing ever happened. Arashi looked down for long moments, trying to find any sign of life – but there was nothing. He sighed heavily. Today the black haired boy did what he couldn't do for ages – he defeated him completely.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 1****4. Afterwards.**

Arashi walked down in such a slow manner like every step caused pain for him. Naruto ran first to him.

"Have you won?" the blond genin asked examining Yondaime for any visible damage.

Arashi nodded hesitantly. He wasn't sure of it himself.

"Where is Taki?" Nami made a step ahead meeting with Arashi's eyes.

Yondaime shook his head sadly.

Nami sighed desperately punching the air with her hand.

"Subborn fool," she whispered.

"Look!" Naruto pointed his finger to the crowd of people running to them.

A moment later they were surrounded.Arashi muttered.

"Looks like we have a problem…"

The people came closer and closer and Yondaime considered all the possibilities of sneaking from this deadly circle without any victims. Nothing came into his mind so it left them only one choice.

"Naruto," he whispered. "Stand by my back. We'll fight 'til we find a way of getting out of here."

The blond genin nodded soundlessly and took a kunai preparing for the battle. The people made another step, the blonds prepared to attack and then…

"Stop it!" another figure appeared in front of both the men, protecting them from the crowd. People backed away in fear.

"Mizukage-sama," Arashi heard the whisper.

She turned back to them her hands ready to release some jutsu. She had black hair, completely white skin, blue eyes. Her face was like a stone wall, without any emotion. It was beautiful, in some way, but this beauty was frightening. Cruel chakra was flowing from her. So cruel that Arashi almost shuddered.

"Back off," she ordered. "Didn't you see the scene? This man won in a fair battle. Second mizukage challenged him and lost."

"He killed our mizukage!" somebody from the crowd shouted. "Let's kill him!"

The crowd started moving once again and the woman's hands began to glow blue.

"One more step," she said in a low voice. "And I'll punish everyone here."

The people stopped and after a few seconds of waiting she lowered her hands.

"Mizukage…" she sighed. "Has gone crazy. He stole this boy from Konoha and declared him to be his long lost son. This man only had an order to retrieve the boy back, that's all. He did his best not to start the war again. So go home, I'll handle our guests myself."

Naruto suppressed sharp exhale. So everything was lies after all. He wasn't his father.

Seeing her frightening appearance people quickly disappeared from the clearing. Finally only Arashi, Naruto, Nami and the Mizukage were standing at the seashore.

"So," the black haired woman turned to Arashi. "The infamous fourth hokage. Nice to meet you."

"I would like to say the same to you," Arashi met her eyes and sighed. "But under circumstances…"

"Yes," she looked at the waterfall sadly. "He completely lost it. When he realized you were alive he went crazy completely. He loved his sister too much. He was a good mizukage…before."

"He was a good man," Arashi trailed. "I still remember…"

He remembered a boy with the biggest desire to become jounin, to protect his village, his sister. He remembered all his pranks, all their disputes and fights. He remembered evenings when the three of them – him, Umi and Taki were sitting at the seashore talking about different things.

He closed his eyes for a moment trying to stop the ache in his heart.

Strong but thin hand touched his shoulder and Arashi raised his head catching the sight of the mizukage. She said nothing only nodded her head.

"You did all you could do," was written in her eyes.

"Looks like I returned from the mission just in time," she nodded to Nami.

"Yes, mizukage-sama," answered the red-haired woman simply.

"Well," the dark haired woman straightened keeping her eyes on Arashi. "Your mission here is complete, hokage-sama. Though I won't mind if you stay here longer."

Her smile reminded Arashi of Umi for a moment but the next moment he understood the difference. When Umi smiled he felt all the world blossomed around him. Now he felt nothing.

"No one can't enter the same water for the second time," he remembered the old saying.

"No, thank you," he heard his voice earlier than he could think up what to answer.

"I see," she nodded still examining him. "That's a shame; I heard you liked being here."

"Not anymore," Arashi answered with his lips.

"Then all I can wish you is goodbye," she continued smiling but not in friendly manner anymore. "I can't guarantee your safety if you decide to return here, you are not welcomed here. Our villages are at war. Next time I'll have to fight and kill you, hokage."

Naruto watched their dialogue with different emotions. He didn't like the way the black haired woman looked at Blondaime. He couldn't find the exact reason of it – he simply hated it. It felt terribly wrong in her presence. He wanted to shout that they must stop the war, to do something but he couldn't – like the dark haired woman put some jutsu on him – he couldn't say a word. He just knew that he couldn't change anything here and now. Only with time. Maybe when her daughter – Naruto was sure that dark haired kid with blazing ice eyes and intent of becoming mizukage was her daughter – will accomplish her goal, he will try to stop the war. Yes, it was the right thought, he liked it.

He squeezed his hand looking at her – now without any fear.

She also looked at him and for a moment it felt like she wanted to ask him about something. But she said nothing, only turned around and disappeared in a flash of water droplets.

"Let's get out of here," Arashi said immediately. "We don't have time to lose. The villagers are angry – they won't stay away." Everybody agreed with him.

So they quickly went to the sea shore. Nami muttered some words and a boat appeared from nowhere. They took their places and it quickly moved towards the other shore. Naruto turned around to look for the last time at the village that brought him hope and took it away.

"I really would like to return here one day," he thought.

------------

They walked in the clearing at the boarder of hidden leaf and hidden mist and Naruto saw a simple stone tomb without name. Arashi said nothing; he just went to it, kneeling. He put beautiful flowers, that Naruto hadn't seen in his life, on it, then brushed the dirt from the stone with such gentleness as if it was alive.

"So here is the place," Nami joined him.

"Yes," his voice was distant and sad as if the hokage was very far from here.

"How many years passed, Umi," Nami whispered.

Naruto just stood watching them. So that's where the previous Mizukage's tomb was. For a moment he was afraid that his companions will begin to mourn but nothing happened.

"She hated it when we became sad," Arashi finally managed to smile. "And here we are, come here after all these years and start brooding. Let's finish it, Nami!"

"Yes," Nami laughed. "Let's go!"

Obviously it was a show-off, Naruto understood. He knew that Nami will come here the other day and will be crying for hours. He knew that Yondaime will get out of Konoha once he gets a chance to visit this place. Still, they didn't want to show their feelings to him and he completely understood them.

Nami was the first to walk away, Arashi followed her. Naruto hesitated for a moment and then came closer to the tomb.

Strange feeling pierced his heart once again. The feeling of something familiar, something close and distant at the same time. He couldn't understand it.

"I never knew you, mizukage-sama," he whispered. "But I know that you were strong, kind and you protected your village. And you put your life to stop Kyuubi." His hand touched his stomach. "I want to become as strong as you to protect my village. I…" he trailed for a second. "I really wish I knew you."

"Naruto, we are leaving!" he heard Yondaime's voice, he took one step and then turned around once again.

"Also… I swear, I will do anything to stop the war when I become hokage, You have my word." he whispered and ran away.

------------------

They walked for another couple of miles and then Nami stopped.

"Well, looks like it's time for saying goodbye," she said.

"Nani?" Naruto shouted. "I thought you are going to move to Konoha!"

"Naruto," the red Amazon smiled. "My home is at hidden mist. Nothing will change that!"

Naruto lowered his head.

"I really wanted you to live in Konoha," he whispered.

"Don't become crybaby, kiddo!" she slapped his back. "It's not a farewell after all! Yes, we live not so close but you still remember the place where I live, don't you?"

"Of course!" Naruto shouted.

"So just pay a visit when you come by…and I'll visit you when I have a chance!"

"Nobody will try to capture you at Konoha," Arashi told her. "I promise."

"Say it honestly, you are just too afraid for your people!" Nami laughed. "That I'll kick their asses!"

"You've caught me," Arashi raised his hands in humorous surrender.

Nami clasped his shoulder for a moment and muttered.

"Set everything in order at last, Arashi. Or I'll come to clean everything up myself."

"I promise," he simply nodded.

Naruto watched them in amusement. What things? Yondaime's house was rather dusty but it wasn't that bad! Why did she insist on setting everything in order anyway? He liked it the way they were.

While he was thinking about it Nami caught him in embrace and almost squeezed all the air out of him.

"Bye, kiddo! Don't get hurt anymore! I'll miss you a lot. I don't come across such a loud mouthed bragging ninja everyday, you know!"

"What?" Naruto choked out. "You are talking with the future hokage after all, pay some respect!"

"I'll remember," she nodded ruffling his blond hair. "Also, I'll remember your promise and you don't forget it."

"What promise?" Yondaime wondered and Naruto and Nami answered at the same time.

"It's a secret!"

Arashi just rolled his eyes.

Nami embraced Naruto one more time and disappeared in the forest.

Blond boy sighed desperately. Why did all the good people in his life tend to disappear sooner or later?

"Come on," Arashi smiled. "I miss Konoha, let's return there quickly!"

"Not all of them," Naruto thought watching him. "Some of them stay, and I hope, forever," and said aloud, "Me too! Wanna go to Ichiraku's ramen!"

"Maybe another contest?" Yondaime offered.

Naruto shook his head.

"No way! You are taller than me so you can eat more. It's simply not fair!"

Arashi laughed.

"You are surely becoming wiser."

"Come on, whoever reaches the hill first is treating the other!" Naruto shouted and sprinted ahead not waiting for him.

Arashi stared at the back of his son in disbelief.

"Looks like I was wrong," he muttered putting his hands into a familiar seal.

-------------------


	16. Chapter 16

EPILOGUE

Several days later two blonds were walking down the Konoha's street.

"Everything is the same!" Naruto proclaimed, inhaling the familiar scent of the village. "Hello, everybody! I'm back!"

Arashi smiled.

"Look, Iruka-sensei has returned!" Naruto happily shouted noticing the man talking with another teacher on the other side of the street. "Hey, Iruka-sensei!" with these words he ran away.

Arashi sighed watching his back.

"Well, looks like it is the end of your staying at my house, Naruto," he looked at the blond happily talking with brown-haired sensei and a sad smile, a common guest of his moods lately, appeared on his lips.

So he just went along the streets not noticing the cheerful sights of villagers greeting their favorite hokage. His thoughts were with the boy at the other side of the street and the black haired woman who he failed once again.

"There are things that won't change for a long time," he concluded. "So even being with Naruto for all this time won't change anything. But do you hear, Umi? I'll keep trying! I'll become his real father one day!" he looked at the sky and for a moment – just for a little one – almost felt her presence again.

"_That's the thing I like the most in you, Arashi," her voice – his memory – resounded in his ears. "You never give up. So keep on going, don't fall. Be strong and lend your strength to the others as you always do. So one day they will lend their strength to you as well, the moment when you need it__ the most." _

Arashi came to his house, opened the door and prepared to come in when the rush of blond hair appeared before him.

And a familiar, annoying voice resounded along the streets of Konoha.

"Blondaime!"

"Huh?" Naruto really did the impossible – he caught the fourth unprepared, door knob still in his hand.

"Aahh..Baka," the taller blond haired man's lips curled into a smile.

"Stop calling me that!" Naruto exploded once again and then laughed.

Arashi couldn't help but laugh a little as well.

"Yondaime," finally Naruto became serious and Arashi turned around looking at him attentively.

Naruto scratched his head and finally continued.

"Look…you know, the chuunin exams will be in a month," now the blond haired boy examined the ground infront of his legs. "Ero-Sennin isn't around anywhere so I thought…if you could train me, please?"

Blue eyes stared at Arashi who looked rather shocked. He expected anything, but not this question.

He felt like he wanted to jump in the air and shout. He wanted to run across the streets with the speed the of wind. This moment, blond hokage felt more alive than in all the previous months.

But he was adult. He was the hokage so he suppressed all these feelings, putting them into a simple smile, broad and honest.

"I'll teach you," he answered. "But I'm a strict teacher. Maybe you'll regret it the next day. You still want to do it?"

These words were met with calm sight of ice blue eyes.

"Don't forget who I am, I am Uzumaki Naruto, the next Hokage!" Naruto answered sternly. "I don't step back, this is my way of ninja!" And Arashi couldn't help himself but stare at him with the gaze full of love and pride.

The wind caught their hair for a moment like it wanted to stop time to keep this picture – two hokages, present and future standing one in front of another. Teacher and student. Father and son.

THE END OF PART TWO

Huf…I can't believe I did it! Here is a little present for those who managed to read this all. It's a short description of the next part, maybe teaser, if you want…

Old times, friends, rivals… Different times, but they walked the same way, father and son. Now, before the chuunin exam they must face the past together. To keep the promises they gave, to correct the mistakes of the past and finally to reveal the truth.

Like father like son 3: When the truth was revealed

That's all for now,

Thank you for reading!

Clarlie


End file.
